New Descartes’ report shows slight import gains, from July to August

The new edition of the September Global Shipping Report, which was recently issued by Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, showed some positive indications, amid still-low import levels.

The is the 24th edition of the Global Shipping Report, going back to its debut in August 2021.

From July to August, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes eked out a 0.4% annual increase, coming in at 2,196,268 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), while posting a 13.2% annual decline and up 2.5% compared to pre-pandemic August 2019. And on a year-to-date basis through August, imports are down 2.1% compared to the same period in 2019.

“The September update of the logistics metrics Descartes is tracking shows continued consistency with 2019 results and signs that key challenges to global supply chain performance in 2023 have stabilized,” the report stated.

For the top 10 U.S. ports, Descartes found that August U.S. container volume increased by 7,851 TEU, or 0.4%, with three ports posting gains, led by the Port of Los Angeles, up 12.9%, or 7,095 TEU, the Port of Long Beach, up 12.1%, or 35,996 TEU, and the Port of Baltimore up 2.1%, or 945 TEU.

Descartes observed that the volume share for the top West Coast ports saw gains, driven by strong August volumes for both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. And it added that in comparing the top five West Coast port to the top five East and Gulf Coast ports, from August to July, the top West Coast ports rose 3.6%, to 41.9%, with the top East and Gulf ports off 3.3%, to 43.1%. When comparing larger ports to smaller ports, Descartes said the former’s share rose 0.4%, to 85.1%.

Looking at the top 10 countries of origin, the report found that August U.S. container volume rose 1.3%, or 20,657 TEU, from July to August. China paced all countries with a 1.5% increase, or 12,075 TEU, while South Korea was at the bottom, down 14.5%, or 14,909 TEU.

August port transit delays were slightly below July, with the company calling it one of the lowest months for the metric since Descartes first began tracking this data. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Houston saw respective increases, at 0.8 days and 0.3 days, with the Port of Oakland seeing the largest decrease, for that period, at 1.2 days.

“In August 2023, U.S. container import volume increased slightly compared to July 2023, which is fairly consistent with the rise that occurs in peak season in non-pandemic years,” wrote Chris Jones, EVP Industry Descartes, in the report. “Despite the volume increase, port transit times remained close to their lowest levels since Descartes began tracking them. The U.S. West Coast labor situation is resolved. While the Panama drought is impacting some types of shipping, U.S. container imports do not appear to be affected to date. The September update of the logistics metrics Descartes is tracking shows continued consistency with 2019 results and signs that key challenges to global supply chain performance in 2023 have stabilized.”