United States’ import volumes at the country’s major container ports has increased as the supply chain adjusts to ongoing Houthi rebel attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
This is according to the latest Global Port Tracker report data released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, which shows annual growth in volumes in January 2024.
“Retailers continue to work with their partners to mitigate the impact of disruptions from the Red Sea and Panama Canal restrictions,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy.
“Cargo has been rerouted and goods are arriving where they are needed and in time to meet consumer demand despite the ongoing challenges. Retailers have been impacted by costs and shipping delays, but they are working to minimise any impact on consumers.”
Carriers were avoiding the Red Sea and the initial surge in shipping prices and delays was subsiding, said Hackett Associates Founder, Ben Hackett.
Some cargo that previously travelled from Asia via the Red Sea and Suez Canal across the Atlantic to the US East Coast is now going around the Cape of Good Hope instead. There has been an uptick in cargo shipped across the Pacific to the West Coast and some ships are travelling across the Pacific and through the Panama Canal to reach the East Coast.
“Despite the shipping disruptions cause by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the global trade of consumer goods, industrial materials and bulk commodities continues to flow relatively smoothly,” said Hackett.
“Fear of an inflationary impact due to the raised cost of transportation should be alleviated by now. Retailers and their carrier partners are adjusting to the re-routings and new schedules, which add new costs but those can be partially offset by not having to sail up the Red Sea and not having to pay Suez Canal transit costs. This will continue until there is a resolution and freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and Suez Canal,” he said.
US ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.96 million TEUs in January, the latest month for which final numbers are available, reflecting an increase of 4.7% from December and up 8.6% year-on-year.
Ports have not yet reported February’s numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 1.9 million TEU, up 22.7% annually, while March is forecast at 1.77 million TEU, up 8.8% from last year.
February is traditionally the slowest month because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in Asia but the timing of the holiday and its impact on cargo and year-over-year comparisons vary.
The first half of 2024 is expected to total 11.5 million TEU, up 7.8% from the same period last year according to the report. Imports during 2023 totalled 22.3 million TEU, down 12.8% from 2022.
