A new report from CNBC found congestion from the BSNF and Union Pacific railroads is lengthening shipping delays from the two main West Coast ports.
Containers leaving the Port of Los Angeles bound for rail currently are waiting 7.5 days, the report said. At the Port of Long Beach, delays are more than eight days. Both delays are longer than they have been in recent months, the report said.
“We are at a point of inflection as to the rail bottlenecks, including the lack of rail cars at the nation’s largest and most significant container gateway,” said Mario Cordero, the executive director for the Port of Long Beach.
To avoid delays, more containers are being shipped through East Coast ports, the report said. Port of New York and New Jersey Director Bethann Rooney said the ports reported an 11.5% increase in important containers from January through May. Of the increase, 6.5% was cargo shifted from West Coast ports.
Officials from Savannah, Georgia, and Norfolk, Virginia, ports also said they have seen increased import activity as shippers look to avoid West Coast congestion.
