2022 has not started off well, as shippers continue to face bottlenecks and service disruption related to global port congestion. The situation is particularly challenging at key hub ports and gateway terminals, as cargo volumes remain extremely high, affecting the fluid movement of cargo on land as well as disrupting vessel schedules worldwide.
North American ports continue to struggle with these issues, as rail movements inland are delayed, and the number of vessels waiting to berth at these destination ports remains high. We are also experiencing long delays in transit times, as vessels laden with containers destined to North America sit idle offshore or slow down the sea transit, awaiting a berthing window at the final port of arrival.
The situation in Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax remains precarious, as we are seeing significant delays in cargo moving inland from these key points of arrival in Canada. In terms of the U.S., the problems experienced in 2021, namely vessel bunching and extended dwell time at terminals remain. While the U.S. West Coast ports are dealing with the most serious issues, as the vast majority of inbound cargo from Asia arrives via this gateway, East Coast ports are also dealing with high volumes of cargo and the fallout from this.
For more information, please call David Lychek, Director – Ocean & Air Services at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1207.
