The port congestion and elevated rail container dwell times that have been a fact of life in the Pacific Northwest for weeks appear to be peaking and some relief is expected later this month. Until then, however, shippers will be forced to contend with delays in the movement of intermodal containers to inland destinations.
Rail container dwell times at marine terminals in the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) of Seattle and Tacoma have doubled in recent weeks as intermodal container moves spiked amid peak season imports.
Retailers shifted some discretionary import volumes to the Pacific Northwest gateway because of concerns over strike threats by Teamsters Union rail workers in Canada and by East and Gulf coast dockworkers amid the coming expiration of their contract at the end of this month.
US imports from Asia increased almost 51% in July 2024 from July 2023, according to PIERS, a Journal of Commerce sister company within S&P Global. The import surge strained the capacity of the western railroads and terminal operators in the NWSA.
“No mode can accommodate that kind of volatility without disruption,” rail industry analyst Lawrence Gross, president and founder of Gross Transportation, told the Journal of Commerce last week.
Details please refer to JOC news.
Source:
Ashe, A., & Mongelluzzo, B. (2024, September 6). Rail container dwells in Seattle-tacoma still high, but relief in sight. Journal of Commerce. https://www.joc.com/article/rail-container-dwells-in-seattle-tacoma-still-high-but-relief-in-sight-5721796