In trade with Asia, the five biggest U.S. West Coast seaports processed 49.5% of imports from that continent in January, dropping by nearly 5% from the 54% the same time last year, according to the latest edition of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association’s West Coast Trade Report.
When one includes the rest of the U.S. West Coast ports, the number falls from 54.7% in January 2021 to 51.2% in January 2022, according to the report.
The value of the import cargo also fell at the Big Five ports – Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle, Oakland and Tacoma — dipping from 64.9% in January 2021 to 55.8% in January 2022. Overall, U.S. West Coast ports saw the dollar value of its share of imports drop from 62.4% in January 2021 to 57.5% in January 2022, according to PMSA data.
Meanwhile, containerized exports heading to Asia rose at U.S. West Coast seaports, from 52% in January 2021 to 57% in January 2022.
But value-wise, the Big Five moved 55.5% of containerized exports bound for Asia, down from 57.3% in January 2021. Total USWC share of exports fell from 57.7% in January 2021 to 56.1% in January 2022, PMSA data show.
