US WEST COAST PORTS UPDATE

The port situation on the West Coast is not improving . It was reported that 19 container ships were anchored on Jan 31st. Last Friday, Feb 6th there were about 40. Further delays are expected over the coming weeks. This weekend, the vessels weren’t unloaded or loaded in an effort to clear the backlog on the terminals ; the gates are scheduled to resume on Monday. Negotiations between the PMA and the ILWU are still ongoing.

The Harbor Trucking Association (HTA), which represents drayage companies near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, said more than 70 trucking companies have declared “force majeure” in letters sent to the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) and various steamship lines in response to huge “per diem” and demurrage charges for containers and chassis.