Box volume decline continues at port of Oakland

01-11-2022

The Port of Oakland’s total loaded container volume dropped by 7.9% in September 2022 compared to the same month last year.

The Californian box port reported 132,599 loaded TEUs in September with loaded imports decreasing by 4.9% to 77,803 TEUs, while loaded export containers experienced a 12% decline, with 54,756 TEUs passing through the port of Oakland in September.

“Retail inventories remain high, weakening demand for imports,” said a port official, adding that demand is expected to lag for the next several months.

Port of Oakland’s full imports from the beginning of the year until September decreased by 5% compared to the same period in 2021.

A port official noted that ocean carriers operating out of the port of Oakland have yet to reinstate many scheduled services, as exporters are less inclined to book cargo on ships that will not arrive on a predictable schedule.

According to the port, increased import dwell time causing congestion, continued US West Coast supply chain bottlenecks and a lack of capacity to meet demand at Western regional warehouses are the main reasons that lead the Port of Oakland to see container volume fall in the last months.

However, positive growth was seen in empty boxes passing through the port, with a 38.3% increase in empty exports and a 23.9% uptick in empty imports.