US west coast October cargo volumes flat, BCOs fearful of labour strife
Time：2015-12-09
Browse：70
US west coast laden import and export container volume fell less than one per cent year on year, according to figures posted by the employers group, the Pacific Maritime Association.
Imports increased 1.4 per cent, but exports, battered by a strong dollar all year and weak economies in China and Japan, fell 4.4 per cent.
The US Commerce Department reported October dropped to the lowest level in more than four years. Despite west coast import edging up, major retailers, or beneficial cargo owners (BCO) continued to ship the bulk of Christmas goods through east coast ports.
According to PIERS, containerised imports moving through east coast ports in October increased 12 per cent from October 2014, and the coast`s share of total US containerised imports increased to 44.8 per cent from 43 per cent in September, reported IHS media. The west coast share of imports dropped to 49.7 per cent from 51.4 per cent in September, and the Gulf Coast`s share declined to 5.45 per cent from 5.5 per cent.
The PMA statistics reveal that west coast ports are struggling to overcome the huge losses they experienced in January and February when ILWU work slowdowns and employer retaliation generated the worst congestion since the 2002 ILWU contract negotiations.
West coast container volume was still down three per cent from the first 10 months of 2014. Imports were up less than one per cent, and exports were down 10 per cent.
Los Angeles-Long Beach, the largest US port complex, was down 2.6 per cent year-to-date in total container volume. Oakland was down 5.2 per cent and Seattle-Tacoma was up less than one per cent, mostly because Portland lost 90 per cent of its container business because of ILWU trouble.