UPDATE: U.S. and Canada Ports – Number of Cargo Vessels at Anchor 

• Vancouver: 35 Vessels at Anchor (-3)
• Savannah: 13 Vessels at Anchor (+9)
• Houston: 25 Vessels at Anchor (+11)
• San Francisco/Oakland: 8 Vessels at Anchor (+4)
• Los Angeles/Long Beach: 8 Vessels at Anchor (-3)
• Mobile: 8 Vessels at Anchor (+4)
• New York/Newark: 4 Vessels at Anchor (+4)
• Charleston: 1 Vessels at Anchor (0)

Note: Count taken on January 3, 2023. This count does not include vessels moored and being unloaded at port docks. Colored numbers in parentheses represents the change from last week over. Data is courtesy of MarineTraffic’s live vessel traffic map.

Have another U.S. or Canadian port you’d like us to track weekly? Let us know!

Takeaways

• U.S. West Coast: 2023 begins with below single-digit ship queues for the USWC.

• U.S. Gulf Coast: Houston has seen a surge in its ship queue as we enter 2023. As a premier freight hub, we suspect arrivals of pre-Chinese New Year sailings have played a role in this boom of traffic. While pre-CNY demand isn’t as pronounced as last year’s, we expect shippers are still planning accordingly around the logistical impacts this annual holiday brings.

• U.S. East Coast: Right before the holidays, Savannah received an early gift of minimal congestion. While not as bad as it was months ago, the EC port saw a nine-vessel addition to its queue this week. Just like many of us on New Year’s Day, Savannah has since experienced a slight hangover in the early days of 2023.

• Canada: New year, same congestion. While Vancouver should expect to see some improvements in the near future, right now it remains an outlier with its vessel queue.

IMPORT: Asia to North America (TPEB)

Recent Developments:

• More blank sailings are expected through Q1 2023, especially right now and this following week ahead of Chinese New Year. In return, carriers hope this move will shed excess capacity and improve overall scheduling.

• West Coast contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) remain active. The existing labor contract between the two parties expired July 1.

Rates: Spot rates remain hovering around pre-pandemic levels.
Space: Space is open.
Capacity: Overcapacity is the current state of this trade. Blank sailings are now typical as a means from carriers to combat this excess market capacity.
Equipment: Lower volumes have brought relief to equipment deficits. Be on the lookout for improving production of chassis.
TIPS:
• Book at least two weeks prior to the ready date.
• Chinese New Year begins early this year on January 21.
• Expect blank sailings to be commonplace through Q1 2023.

IMPORT: Europe to North America (TAWB)

Rates: Barring any surges in demand, rates are expected to continue to steadily fall in 2023 as this market’s capacity increases.
Space: Space to both U.S. coasts have opened up as American port congestion overall eases.
Capacity: Larger vessels have entered the market boosting the trade lane’s capacity. This applies for both Northern Europe and Mediterranean coasts to the USEC.
Equipment: Availability for both European origins and U.S. destinations has improved for this trade. Inland hubs in Europe are beginning to balance their equipment out as well.
TIPS:
• Book at least four weeks prior to ready date.
• Even as market conditions become favorable, premium services (i.e., no-roll options and improved cargo reliability) should still be considered.

EXPORT: North America to Asia

Rates: Rates are stable if not slightly decreasing. They are not plummeting in this market like its inbound counterpart (Asia to North America).
Capacity: Capacity remains stable. However, blank sailings are still likely as we approach Chinese New Year. That said, they will mostly be limited and not as prevalent as they are expected to be for this lane’s inbound counterpart.
Equipment: Chassis and container deficits still exist at inland points, like Kansas City and Memphis, but buy in large, most dry and coastal ports have balanced out their equipment availability, especially the latter.
TIPS:
• Book at least three weeks prior to the time of departure.
• Stay in close communication with your provider and carrier to be aware of any potential developments, like blank sailings, that can affect your shipments.