The November 17th, port congestion surcharge previously announced last Friday has been postponed by ocean carriers. This halt to the surcharge implementation has come after FMC review, and other contributing factors. The postponed surcharge would have affected cargo moving both eastbound and westbound from West coast ports.
News reports last week pointed to up to 12 containerships that were anchored off the LA-LB ports, awaiting berth. Reports this week show an improvement of 8 containerships awaiting berth.
The continued congestion/backlog at LA-LB may yet cause carriers to implement a port congestion surcharge more consistent with FMC guidelines in the weeks ahead.
The carriers have explained that there are various factors which are attributed to the deteriorating port congestion situation along the U.S. West Coast, i.e; “equipment availability issues”, “labor related disruptions”, etc.
MIQ Logistics will continue to monitor this situation closely and will track updates on our Ocean Freight Forwarding Market Update page, as they become available.
For more information, please contact your local MIQ Logistics representative. 