Port of Oakland July volume drops 28 percent from July 2021

Oakland, Calif. – August 17, 2022: The Port of Oakland’s total loaded container volume dropped by 28% in July compared to July 2021. Last month 116,629 loaded TEUs (twenty-foot containers) moved through the port, compared to 162,898 in July 2021.

Loaded imports were down by 26.7% recording 69,463 TEUs last month compared to 94,745 in July 2021.

Loaded export containers experienced a 30.8% decline, with 47,166 TEUs transiting through the port in July compared to 68,153 TEUs in July 2021.

“The Port was closed nearly a week last month due to the trucker protests voicing concern over AB5,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “This congestion reduced our overall July volume.”

Full imports in 2022 year-to-date are down 4% compared to the first 7 months of 2021.

The Port of Oakland is experiencing on-going supply chain issues which have been exacerbated by a week-long boycott by independent truckers protesting the state law AB5.  The protest snarled port operations, slowing the unloading of inbound ships, and delaying imports from leaving the terminals.

Congestion in the container yards hindered the terminals ability to load ships with goods destined for export. The disruption caused by the strike and supply chain issues are making it harder for exporters to coordinate shipping activities and get their goods out of the port.

It is estimated that it could take a month before the port traffic will recover from the protest.

Additionally, rates charged to ship containers from Asia to the US continued to decline pointing to a possible decrease in demand for imports.