The Department of Transportation said recently that there are signs of progress in the goods movement chain despite continued challenges from historic import levels, aging infrastructure, pandemic-related developments, and geopolitical disruptions.
According to the DOT’s latest Transportation Supply Chain Indicators Tracker, the total number of container ships waiting for berths at U.S. ports has dropped by 47 percent since peaking in early February, even as containerized imports increased sharply in March for most U.S. ports. The ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York/New Jersey collectively imported 260,000 more containers in March versus February, a 12 percent increase, and imports across all U.S. ports were up nearly a half-percent for the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
However, DOT said there are still problems related to exports and rail service. Exporters are continuing to experience challenges getting their goods to overseas markets, and DOT said its attention “continues to be on maintaining lower levels of long-dwelling containers at ports, particularly empty ones that could be reloaded with U.S. products that are ready for export.” DOT is also focused on “poor rail service,” noting that for key rail lines train speed is down and trains are spending more time delayed at terminals, which is making it more difficult to clear the docks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
DOT is also monitoring “precarious situations abroad,” including a COVID-related lockdown in China’s major port city of Shanghai that has caused factory shutdowns and trucking delays. While these developments could impact U.S. supply chains, especially for autos and consumer electronics, DOT noted that the Shanghai port remains open and the latest data show that exports from major Chinese ports were down only slightly in April compared to the previous year.
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