Glimmer of hope: Has the ship gridlock off ports finally peaked?

Flexport’s chief economist seems to think that’s possible.

He points to the fact that there won’t be any more stimulus checks to generate more demand for consumer goods. And the graphs show a rollover after a peak in January. The chart is telling:

Flexport is a major broker and forwarder, based in San Francisco. They have a very thoughtful approach to understanding what they face in their markets. A pronouncement from them has some weight. Flexport just managed to raise $935 million to continue their advancement. That’s a bunch of capital.

It’s too early to declare victory. over port congestion. More demand will come. There is a lot of replenishing of inventory going on. And the excess empty containers at LA and Long Beach, and elsewhere as well, are still a big source of onshore logistics problems. And the truck driver shortage, and the Great Resignation. And demand is still elevated; when people can’t travel or go to restaurants, they buy stuff.

But with recognition of a problem, and it’s certainly well recognized now, people have started to work on solving the many little bottlenecks that conspire to make a supply chain grind its gears. Perhaps we will see a slow unwinding of the problems.

Greg Miller, Senior Editor Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Glimmer of hope: Has the ship gridlock off ports finally peaked? – FreightWaves