East American port congestion is serious, but there are still large ships easy to dock at the port!

As container liner companies shift the docking ports of some routes from the western United States to the eastern United States, the pressure on the East coast logistics network has increased sharply. At present, among the top 10 container terminals in the East of the United States, there are four terminals with long waiting time, namely New York and Elizabeth Terminals belonging to the Port of New York and Garden City and Savannah Terminals belonging to the Port of Savannah. As the chart below shows, the average moored time in New York Harbor has fluctuated between 20 and 50 hours for most of this year, well above last year's levels. Last year it rarely exceeded 20 hours, and the average over the last three years has rarely exceeded 10 hours.

The other six terminals are operating normally with relatively short waiting times, including Norfolk International and Virginia International Container Terminals at the Port of Norfolk, Mach and Newark terminals at the Port of New York, Park Avenue Terminal at the Port of Philadelphia and Wando Welch Terminal at the Port of Charleston. As the chart below shows, the average waiting time for container ships at the Port of Norfolk rarely exceeds six hours, and is currently almost zero.

The four congested terminals are the busiest on the east coast and can accommodate larger ships, including the largest VLCS. Notably, among the six less congested terminals, Virginia International Container Terminal and Wando Welch Terminal have also docked VLCS this year. As a result, large ships can also make port calls more quickly.
Shippers and liner companies with flexible schedules are advised to consider alternative routes to key markets, such as less congested ports on the East Coast of the United States.

Source:VesselsValue