Port congestion slowly is continuing to build back up at West Coast ports as the labor dispute between the ILWU and PMA continues.

Los Angeles/Long Beach
While the terminals appear to be open, productivity has dropped dramatically. CNBC reported that as of yesterday, six vessels were delayed at Los Angeles while two were at anchor at Long Beach.

Port of Oakland
Terminals at the port of Oakland were closed on Wednesday. They did reopen today. However, the movement of containers in and out of the terminals remains slow.

Port of Seattle / Tacoma
The port of Seattle was effectively shut down today due to a lack of labor. Tacoma, while open, seems to be operating at half of the normal productivity levels.

We’re definitely at a tricky moment in time. Barring a breakthrough in contract negotiations, it’s hard to believe that the situation will improve. Importers should be prepared for a dramatic slowdown in ocean freight arriving through the West Coast ports.