US ports

Port of Long Beach experiences COVID-19 impacts

Following the COVID-19 situation, Port of Long Beach keeps experiencing the coronavirus impacts, marking several canceled sailings and a decline in cargo containers shipments during March. For the records, last month, the US second busiest port saw a 9.8% drop in cargo volumes.

With Port of Long Beach struggling to remain operational, terminal operators and dockworkers managed to move 517.663 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, a 6.4% decline in comparison to March 2019.

At the same...

https://safety4sea.com/port-of-long-beach-experiences-covid-19-impacts/

Congestion looms at US ports as shops and factories close and imports pile up

The repercussions of Covid-19 have begun to hit US imports.
As retail outlets, as well as many manufacturing operations, in North America are shuttered, anticipation of a surge of imports to compensate for China’s extended lunar new year hiatus are quickly disappearing.
Instead, as more containers arrive, there are concerns about mounting storage costs.
US importers have not wasted time in shifting gear – having tried to speed-up deliveries from China a few …

The post Congestion looms at US...

https://theloadstar.com/congestion-looms-at-us-ports-as-shops-and-factories-close-and-imports-pile-up/

US ports ask for $6 billion grants to manage COVID-19 crisis

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, US ports are now asking for $6.5 billion in grants and direct assistance, to manage the challenging situation.

Specifically, Reuters reports that in a letter sent exclusively to the agency, the American Association of Port Authorities said early estimates suggest a 20% annualized reduction in cargo activity at U.S. ports, leading to a loss of $1 billion in revenue.

Consequently, the Authorities are asking for $1 billion in port grants, $1 billion in direct...

https://safety4sea.com/us-ports-ask-for-6-billion-grants-to-manage-covid-19-crisis/

California requests USNS Mercy Hospital Ship against COVID-19 outbreak

Following the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the government of California wrote a letter to the Trump Administration requesting immediate deployment of the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to the Port of Los Angeles until September 2020, so as to be prepared in response to the disease.

In fact, Governor Gavin Newsom’s letter said:

“I respectfully request you immediately deploy the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to be stationed at the port of Los Angeles through September 1, 2020, to help decompress our current...

https://safety4sea.com/california-requests-usns-mercy-hospital-ship-against-covid-19-outbreak/

USCG: Face-to-face interaction during port operations, when possible

The US Coast Guard issued an updated marine safety bulletin concerning the COVID-19, focusing on the efficient implementation of port and facility operations.

The USCG highlights that

The facility compliance regulations outlined throughout 33 Code of Federal Regulations remains in force, and facility operators are expected to continue to comply with these requirements.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted to several challenges, such as cruise cruise ships mooring at facilities not approved for...

https://safety4sea.com/uscg-face-to-face-interaction-during-port-operations-when-possible/

Port of Savannah has the largest crane fleet in North America

Georgia Port Authority informed that Port of Savannah received three Neo-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, increasing its total to 36. In fact, through this expansion, the port has the largest crane fleet as a single container terminal located in North America.

As Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch said:

Along with dock improvements at Garden City Terminal, our growing crane fleet will allow Savannah to serve four 14,000-TEU vessels simultaneously by 2023. We’re already moving...

https://safety4sea.com/port-of-savannah-has-the-largest-crane-fleet-in-north-america/

Major US ports try to stay operational amid COVID-19 pandemic

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation bringing several disruptions and delays to the shipping industry, several ports in the US are struggling to remain operational. Among others, the Port of New York and New Jersey along with the South Carolina Ports keep continuing their operations.

Specifically, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome said:

S.C. ports are operating normally & working with the entire maritime community to ensure supply chains...

https://safety4sea.com/major-us-ports-try-to-stay-operational-amid-covid-19-pandemic/

Port of Long Beach open and operating despite coronavirus pandemic

Port of Long Beach marine terminals announced that they are open and continue operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, having regular vessel calls and scheduled work shifts continuing at the nation’s second-busiest seaport.

Specifically, the port’s marine terminals are receiving vessel calls and workers are transferring cargo off and on ships under the health-protective directives established by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease...

https://safety4sea.com/port-of-long-beach-open-and-operating-despite-coronavirus-pandemic/

Port of Long Beach sees 9.8% drop in cargo volumes, amid COVID-19

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 outrbeak, the second busiest container port in the US, Port of Long Beach, marked a drop in its cargo handling volume. Namely, the port managed to handle 538.428 TEUs during February, down by 9.8% in comparison to February 2019.

As Port of Long Beach announced, due to the coronavirus situation, fewer ships are calling the port. In fact, this caused a decrease in the imports by 18%.

Although, the exports marked an increase by 19.3%. At the same time, empty containers...

https://safety4sea.com/port-of-long-beach-sees-9-8-drop-in-cargo-volumes-amid-covid-19/

COVID-19 impact on imports larger than expected

The COVID-19 outbreak is expected to have a longer and larger impact on imports at major US retail container ports than previously expected as factory shutdowns and travel restrictions in China continue to affect production, the Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates says.

The report comes as a separate NRF survey of members found that 40% of respondents said they are seeing disruptions to their supply chains from the virus and that another 26% expect...

https://safety4sea.com/covid-19-impact-on-imports-larger-than-expected/

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