Most apparel and footwear sold in the US is imported – and most is made in China or Southeast Asia and arrives in the US at its West Coast ports. According to Datamyne, 53% of apparel and 76% of footwear move through the five biggest: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma.
American Shipper reports on how shippers are struggling with congestion at the ports – a situation exacerbated by, but not due solely to the past year’s labor dispute-related slowdowns. There are systemic issues at the root of congestion, including inadequate terminal facilities and truck capacity.
Meanwhile, the ports’ reputations suffer … and retailers who want to get apparel into stores before it goes out of fashion “are beyond frustrated.”