News
U.S. container imports amounted to 2.1 million TEUs in November, according to data provided by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Descartes System Groups announced last week in the December Global Shipping Report.
They declined 9% from the previous month due to lower volumes at East and Gulf Coast ports, which were beginning to be impacted by drought-driven Panama Canal passage restrictions. From November 2022, however, they swelled 7.4%, and from the same month of the pre-pandemic year of 2019, they grew a more notable 10.4%. In the first eleven months, they increased less than 4% year on year.
Total throughput at the top 10 ports shrank 9.2% (182,278 TEUs) in November, with nine suffering year-on-year contractions. In particular, volumes plunged 16.1% (62,062 TEUs) at New York/New Jersey, 26.7% (46,857 TEUs) at Houston and 18.7% (22,632 TEUs) at Charleston. On the other hand, Los Angeles was the only port among the top 10 to accomplish a year-on-year increase of 3.3% (12,212 TEUs).
Containers handled at the top five Wes Coast ports accounted for 43.1%, up 3.4% from October, while the top five East and Gulf Coast ports held a combined share of 42%, down 3.1%.
