Global News JOC Rankings: LA-LB shed import market share in 2022 amid stalled labor talks

The Port of Los Angeles last year barely maintained its top spot for import market share among North American ports as the impact of drawn-out labor negotiations on the West Coast was evident in the loss of discretionary cargo to the East and Gulf coasts.

Los Angeles saw its import volumes fall by 375,000 TEU in 2022, causing its market share to slide to 13.9 percent from 15.1 percent in 2021, according to data from PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global.

The Port of New York and New Jersey came in just behind Los Angeles with an import market share last year of 13.5 percent, up from 12.9 percent in 2021.

The Port of Long Beach lost 50,000 TEU in import volumes last year, trimming its market share by 0.8 percentage point, to 11.9 percent, the PIERS data showed.

The West Coast continues to lose discretionary cargo to the East and Gulf coasts as shippers seek to avoid the type of disruption that has been occurring in Southern California of late linked to stalled labor negotiations that are approaching the one-year mark with no resolution in sight.

The Port of Savannah saw a small increase in its import volumes last year that pushed its market share to 8.1 percent from 7.9 percent in 2021, while Houston knocked Vancouver from the No. 5 North American import spot. Port Houston’s import volumes rose to 1.9 million TEU from 1.6 million TEU in 2021, allowing it to capture 5.4 percent of market share. Vancouver fell to 5.2 percent last year from 5.5 percent in 2021.

The Mexican port of Manzanillo, Virginia (Norfolk), Charleston, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance round out the top 10 of the Journal of Commerce’s top 2022 North American container ports as measured by imports.

Overall, the top 25 ports handled 95.6 percent of the 33.5 million TEU in North American containerized imports last year, according to PIERS. Houston export volumes surge Savannah, meanwhile, remained the top North American container port for exports last year, with its market share rising to 8.5 percent from 8.3 percent in 2021, widening its gap over New York-New Jersey by 0.4 percentage point. The latter saw flat export growth in 2022. A sizable increase in export volumes for No. 3 Houston allowed its market share to rise to 7.9 percent last year from 6.3 percent in 2021.

No. 4 Los Angeles and No. 5 Long Beach showed flat export volumes for 2022, with market shares of 7.5 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively.

The ports of Virginia and Montreal each saw market share increases with Virginia up 0.3 percentage point and Montreal up 0.1 percentage point, while the remainder in the top 10 — Vancouver, Manzanillo, and Oakland — all reported volume decreases.

Of the 14.4 million TEU in North American containerized exports last year, the top 25 ports handled 94.8 percent, according to PIERS.

Rising exports out of the US come as automotive shipments have grown to some of the highest levels since 2014 per the US Census Bureau, while agricultural exports have picked up following pandemic struggles and exports of other US-made products such as resins are on the rise.

Journal of Commerce Top 25 North American Container Ports by Imports Annual containerized imports, in laden TEU

The Journal of Commerce Top 25 North American Container Ports by Imports handled 95.6 percent (33.5 million TEU) of North American containerized imports in 2022. Total import volume at the Top 25 North American ports, which include 16 US ports, four in Canada, and five in Mexico, increased 0.2 percent year over year in 2022. Leading the North America containerized import trade in 2022 were the ports of Los Angeles, New York-New Jersey, and Long Beach, with a combined volume of 13.8 million TEU, down 2.8 percent year over year and representing 39.3 percent of overall North American inbound container trade.

Ranking includes container ports in Canada, Mexico and the United States, omitting ports in US territories and possessions.
US TEU count includes all international containerized ocean borne cargo loading at US ports. Lakes cargo data as available.

1 Combined volumes of Seattle and Tacoma, members of The Northwest Seaport Alliance.
2 Volumes include empty containers.

Sources: Mexico — Ministry of Communications and Transportation, www.sct.gob.mxf; Canada — Ports, websites.
US — PIERS, www.piers.com, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global.

Journal of Commerce Top 25 North American Container Ports by Exports Annual containerized exports, in laden TEU

The Journal of Commerce Top 25 North American Container Ports by Exports handled 94.8 percent (14.4 million TEU) of total North American containerized exports in 2022. Total export volume at the Top 25 North American ports, which include 17 US ports, four in Canada, and four in Mexico, decreased 5.3 percent year over year in 2022. Leading the North America containerized export trade in 2022 were the ports of Savannah, New York-New Jersey, and Houston, with a combined volume of 3.7 million TEU, up 2.3 percent year over year and representing 24.5 percent of overall North American outbound container trade.

Ranking includes container ports in Canada, Mexico and the United States, omitting ports in US territories and possessions.
US TEU count includes all international containerized ocean borne cargo loading at US ports. Lakes cargo data as available.

1 Combined volumes of Seattle and Tacoma, members of The Northwest Seaport Alliance.
2 Halifax volume includes empty containers.

Sources: Mexico — Ministry of Communications and Transportation, www.sct.gob.mxf; Canada — Ports, websites.
US — PIERS, www.piers.com, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global.