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Container volume was lower in June when measured against year-ago levels at ocean cargo facilities on the West and East Coasts, but some signs of improvement can be seen.

The slump in container volumes at ports on the East and West coasts continued in April as some of the largest facilities saw year-over-year double-digit drops.

Political tensions between the U.S. and China are contributing to lower container shipments between the world’s two largest economies, says Ocean Network Express CEO Jeremy Nixon.

A steep, across-the-board decline in imported cargo, exports and empty containers during March dropped volumes at several major ports to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supply chains across the world are healing up almost as fast as they broke down. That doesn’t mean the pressure they’re exerting on inflation will disappear as quickly.

One of the world’s biggest shipping companies just issued a downbeat assessment of the global economy, saying container demand will fall as much as 4% this year.

With the increasing number of cargo ships on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts waiting to be unloaded nearing 150, Federal Maritime Commission member Carl Bentzel believes the upcoming peak season for retailers could be extremely challenging.

The Port of Los Angeles reported its highest container volume ever for the month of June in its 115-year history.

The Port of Los Angeles, the U.S.’s largest for container traffic, has deferred a plan to charge ocean carriers that fail to clear empty containers off the docks and is consulting with the logistics industry on alternatives on how to cut the backlogs.

In an effort to clear the growing backlog of containers, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are charging shippers a container storage surcharge that port officials say will increase based on the number of days a unit sits in one of the facilities.