US Ship Queue at 10, Running 49% Below Its Five-Year Median

The count of ships awaiting berth across all US container ports stood at 10 per MARAD, running 49% below the five-year median and down 9% week over week. Both LA/Long Beach and NY/NJ registered Flowing on the import-friction read entering early summer. At LA/Long Beach, 2 ships were awaiting berth, 33% above the five-year median per MARAD and the Marine Exchange, but near the complex's trailing-12-month normal of 1 ship, keeping the friction read in Flowing territory.

• Savannah ships awaiting berth: 2 ships, down 60% week over week and 50% below the five-year median (MARAD). The sharpest weekly move in the digest.
• LA/Long Beach loaded imports: 868,221 TEU combined in the latest available monthly release, Los Angeles 449,370 TEU (Port of Los Angeles) and Long Beach 418,851 TEU (Port of Long Beach), running above the trailing-12-month normal of 831,195 TEU. Long Beach ran 16% above its five-year median, Los Angeles 10% above.
• Houston loaded imports: 188,276 TEU, 19% above the five-year median (Port of Houston Authority), the largest gain against the five-year median in this release.
• Seattle/Tacoma loaded imports: 87,186 TEU, 16% below the five-year median (Northwest Seaport Alliance), the one major port in this release running below trend.
• NY/NJ truck planning-time index: 3.82 (BTS), 4% below the five-year median and near the trailing-12-month normal of 3.97. Import-friction read: Flowing.

Monthly TEU figures are the latest available from each port authority and report prior-month volumes, not the current week. The BTS vessel-dwell-at-berth series is archived through mid-2023; no current vessel dwell at berth data is available for this issue.