American Bottleneck: US West Coast Congestion Hits Australian Supply Chains
Congestion has resurfaced at major US West Coast gateways—Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland—as strong restocking demand and vessel schedule disruptions converge. Average delays of 3–5 days are now being recorded for inbound and outbound vessels, with some services reporting even longer yard dwell times.
Retailers in the US are accelerating imports ahead of mid-year selling cycles, while transpacific alliances struggle to realign schedules following weather disruptions and blank sailings in Asia.
The outcome is predictable: tighter yard capacity, slower truck turn times, and restricted appointment slots across the port ecosystem.
For Australia, the impact is already visible:
- Australia-bound machinery, auto parts, electronics and e-commerce cargo is missing connections or held in terminals awaiting later sailings.
- Transit times from US West Coast → Australia are stretching by 5–7 days in some cases.
- Cargo moving via transhipment hubs (e.g., Honolulu, Busan) is experiencing increased variability.
- Storage costs and chassis shortages in California are raising overall logistics expenses.
Many Australian distributors rely heavily on US-origin goods for seasonal retail programs, aftermarket automotive supply, construction equipment, and specialised machinery.
Even a modest delay at origin can distort national inventory planning, especially for businesses operating just-in-time or lean warehousing models.
While carriers are attempting to recover schedules through port omissions or faster steaming, the sheer scale of US West Coast volumes makes a rapid fix unlikely. Analysts suggest congestion could persist through late Q1, depending on inland rail capacity and consumer demand trends.
What Australian shippers should do
- Add 5–7 days buffer to all USWC–Australia shipments.
- Request updated ETAs weekly, not monthly.
- Pre-book equipment early, especially for out-of-gauge or machinery cargo.
- Build contingency plans for critical inventory and spare parts.
Source: US port performance dashboards, LA/LB operational updates & transpacific carrier advisories
Disclaimer – Market data is from public sources we consider reliable but has not been independently verified; accuracy is not guaranteed