US container ports recorded their fourteenth consecutive month of growth in November, with inbound volumes surging 13.1 per cent year on year across the nation's ten largest ports, according to the latest report from John McCown.
The November increase, which exceeded October's 9.7 per cent gain, represents one of the strongest growth periods in container shipping history outside of the pandemic era. Total inbound volume reached 2,033,620 TEU, though still remaining 11.1 per cent below the record set in May 2022.
"Using the trailing twelve-month growth number as a metric, the 14.7 per cent in the latest yearly period is, after excluding ten months during the pandemic, near or at the top of any one-year growth period ever," stated McCown.
"We are unquestionably seeing unusually strong and consistent volume growth."
The total value of containerized goods moving through all US ports, including those outside the top 10, reached US$185.3 billion in November, according to Ventura, California's gCaptain.
McCown's report highlights the continuing coastal shift due to ongoing labour concerns at East and Gulf Coast ports, with the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and US Maritime Alliance (USMX) locked in a heated dispute over port automation.
McCown notes that West Coast ports have outperformed their East/Gulf Coast counterparts in fourteen of the past sixteen months. This westward shift intensified after a three-day ILA strike in October that ended with a contract extension until January 15, 2025.
The coastal divergence is stark, with West Coast ports operating 10.1 per cent above their 52-month average, while East/Gulf Coast facilities dropped 3.4 per cent below their average.
November data showed a 14.2 percentage point coastal gap, with West Coast ports posting a 20.2 per cent increase compared to just 6.0 per cent for East/Gulf Coast facilities.
Despite concerns about potential inventory buildup and supply chain disruptions, McCown reports that official census data shows minimal impact from volume being pulled forward, though coastal shifting remains significant.
https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9250100000240
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