The Port of New York and New Jersey Becomes Busiest in the U.S.

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    According to terminal statistics, the Port of New York and New Jersey has surpassed The Port of Los Angeles and The Port of Long Beach as the busiest shipping port in the United States, passing them for the first time in August.

    Container Handling Statistics Are Showing a Sharp Decline in LA Ports

    With nearly 845,000 TEU, the Port of New York and New Jersey moved the most TEU among U.S. ports in August. The ports handled 8% more containers than the previous year.

    The Port of Long Beach came in second with 807,000 import and export containers moved. The port handled nearly 808,000 containers in August 2021.

    With nearly 805,000 containers moved in August, the Port of Los Angeles ranked third in the country. When August 2021 data was compared, the port handled 150,000 less containers. As a result, the total number of containers handled at the Port of Los Angeles has decreased by 16%.

    Incoming Labor Talks Diverted Shipments to the East Coast

    The shift comes as an increasing number of international shipping companies divert cargo to the East Coast due to concerns that West Coast Ports could close at any time due to protracted labor negotiations with the union representing 22,000 dock workers.

    As container handling increases, the backlog at ports along the East Coast and Gulf is growing. According to ship-tracking websites, the port of Savannah is currently experiencing a 10-day vessel wait. The average wait time for the Port of New York and New Jersey is 9 days. There are 28 containerships anchored in the Port of Houston, and they typically wait for 8 days.

    Please keep in mind that the LA Ports are extremely congested with containers bound for inland locations. Containers are sometimes loaded onto rail more than a month after being discharged from the vessel. As a result of this situation, the demand for ports on the East Coast grows.

    How long will the Port of New York and New Jersey continue to be the busiest port in the United States? Will the West Coast ports retake the lead after successful labor negotiations? Time will tell. However, as with all U.S. ports, volumes will always be higher due to rising demand