Capacity at US ports is a looming problem. Already the west coast ports are close to current capacity, when the rail and truck infrastructure is also considered. Many organizations are working on this and the market is also finding new options in Mexico and Canada. The next few years will be very interesting as this issue unfolds.
The picture is from Long Beach port which currently accounts for about 65% of the import container volume in the US. This year the longshoreman's union is again negotiating its labor contract. In 2002, when the current six-year agreement was signed, the negotiation included a 10-day lockout that was a huge issue for importers. Late in 2008 we could see a similar situation.
I'll be posting more about the US port capacity issue throughout the year.
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