The largest ports the east and west coasts of the United States saw imports from Asia fall more than 20 percent year-on-year in the first eight months of 2023, while imports from the Gulf Coast fell only 3.7 percent over the same period. According to the survey results, the total market share of the four busiest trans-Pacific import ports in the United States has shrunk by 2.7 percentage points.
the four busiest U.S. container ports-Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York-New Jersey and Savannah-accounted for just 68.2 percent of U.S. imports from Asia in the first eight months of the year, down from 70.9 percent in 2022 and 70.1 percent in 2019. As of August, 91.1 percent of U.S. imports from Asia came from East and West Coast ports.
According to PIERS data, total U.S. container imports from Asia fell 21% year-on-year through August, and sales were basically flat compared with the same period before the 2019 pandemic. Eight of Asia's 10 busiest ports saw their imports fall by more than 20 per cent over the period, with only Houston (down 3.7 per cent) and Baltimore (up 11.9 per cent) bucking the trend.
due to the impact of a 13-month contract negotiation period between the International Coastal and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), discretionary cargoes have been heavily diverted to the East Coast and Gulf Coast. Imports from Los Angeles and Long Beach fell sharply in 2023, and Gulf Coast ports have been steadily increasing their market share, from 4.8 percent in January-August 2019 to 6.8 percent in 2022 and 8.6 percent in 2023.
According to the National Retail Federation (National Retail Federation) the latest forecast, the United States in October imports will end nine consecutive months of year-on-year decline in the situation, in October will grow 0.1 percent, November will grow 10.4 percent, December will grow 12 percent.
Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at NRF, said the strong numbers suggest retailers are optimistic about the holiday sales season because they won't import goods unless they think they can sell. As the holidays approach, the recently approved West Coast Port Labor agreement between ILWU and the PMA provides supply chain stability and certainty to retailers utilizing West Coast ports. "
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