U.S. ports could see another cargo surge in the summer after spending recent months catching up to the backlog caused by COVID-related disruptions, according to the latest from the National Retail Federation and maritime advisory services provider Hackett Associates. “Congestion at West Coast ports has eased, but congestion at some East Coast ports is growing,” said NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold in a statement. “Ports aren’t as overwhelmed as they were a year ago, but they are still significantly busy moving near-record volumes of cargo.” Despite the Lunar New Year holiday in February in which many factories in Asia close, U.S. ports were busy unloading waiting containers. COVID disruptions are now slowing the number of ships leaving China for the U.S., but a return to normal operations could once again drive up congestion Stateside. Imports in 2021 were up 17.4% year-over year. For the first six months of 2022, imports are expected to be up 2.5%.
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