The constant change in international shipping trends and regulations can have a significant impact on your business. ICAT will keep you informed – and help you navigate your way through all of the most challenging channels to ensure that your cargo gets to its destination.
Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles recorded its strongest August container volume since the peak year of 2006, as traffic rose 3.8 percent compared to the same period in 2015.
Combined with the record August performance announced by neighboring Long Beach, the news is a good indication that Southern California traffic is returning to normal patterns, and that importers who diverted shipments from the West Coast this past year due to labor problems are returning.
Overall container volumes in Los Angeles in the first eight months of 2015 are down 2.5 percent compared to the same period last year. The port is climbing out of the deep hole all West Coast ports found themselves in earlier this year due to the labor dispute.
Intermodal Driver Shortages
The truck driver shortage is worsening, threatening the trucking industry’s ability to serve the nation’s supply chains. The shortage will almost certainly cause fleets’ costs to increase and shippers’ rates to continue to rise. ICAT has relationships with a broad carrier base and will work with all carriers to provide uninterrupted service.
China Hazardous Cargo Restrictions
The tragic explosion in Tianjin in August has greatly affected the transport of hazardous materials into China. While many ports continue to accept containers with hazardous cargo, heavy restrictions have been placed on the warehouses that unload LCL containers within these port areas. The Chinese government has enforced strict regulations and inspections at these facilities. In some cases, the local officials have prohibited them from accepting anything hazardous, while others have been allowed to accept only certain classes of hazardous cargo.