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| Source: Wikipedia |
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal ran a very interesting article on the congestion at U.S. ports caused by shipping alliances, and changes in how ships are loaded and unloaded:
Growing Shipping Alliances Are Straining Major U.S. Gateway Ports
A topic I have not yet seen covered in the press or elsewhere is the contribution of these business arrangements on the highway network that serves the ports.
As bottlenecks at the ports are resolved, it seems inevitable that peak truck traffic coming out of the ports will increase, causing new bottlenecks on the road system outside of the ports, and more air pollution and health impacts for nearby overburdened communities.
Also yesterday, the Journal of Commerce covered shipper alliances and huge increases in trans-Pacific imports, especially through Houston and other Gulf Coast ports. Check out their eye-popping growth numbers:
For background:
- The European Shipping Council raised concerns in Shippers Fret as Container Shipping Alliances Launch Ever Larger Vessels , and
- A major US shipper raised concerns in John Deere blames carrier alliances for ‘unpleasant’ supply chain headaches.