By Mark Edward Nero
New Saturday and
Sunday gate hours are putting a dent in an extraordinary cargo buildup at the
Port of Oakland, according to data. More than 1,000 US import containers have moved
out of its marine terminals every weekend for the past month, the port revealed
Jan. 5.
The largest marine
terminal operators at the port have opened weekend gates since
Thanksgiving. It is cargo that would otherwise move weekdays when
terminals and harbor truckers strain to manage soaring volume. It was an
unusual move precipitated by an unprecedented cargo surge in Oakland.
Import volume has increased in each of the past three months compared to
previous year totals.
“The weekend moves are
only a fraction of what we send out the gates Monday-through-Friday so they’re
not the complete answer to our big buildup,” port Maritime Director John
Driscoll said. “But every little bit helps while we're working to keep
cargo flowing.”
Among the reasons the
port cites for the increase in volumes: increased US trade with Asia; Southern
California port congestion; and labor-management negotiations disrupting West
Coast port operations.
Three-to-nine vessels
anchor in San Francisco Bay every day awaiting berths, according to the Port of
Oakland.
Terminal operators are
expected to continue moving containers on Saturdays and Sundays while demand
persists, which is expected to be another month as U.S. shippers import cargo
before Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in Asia.
