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Sep 22, 2026

LA/Long Beach Friction Read Lifts to Some Pressure

Ships awaiting berth at LA/Long Beach reached 3 this week, triple the trailing-12-month normal of 1 ship, lifting the complex's import-friction read to Some pressure. NY/NJ and Savannah remain Flowing.

Numbers as of Sep 22, 2026 pull

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LA/Long Beach's import-friction read stepped to Some pressure this week. Ships awaiting berth at the complex climbed to 3, per MARAD and Marine Exchange data, against a trailing-12-month normal of 1 ship. The BTS truck planning-time index at LA/Long Beach is 2.26, below its trailing-12-month normal of 4.07, so the ships-awaiting-berth count drove the shift, not the drayage window.

Ships awaiting berth, All US container ports (vessels)
vessels
Chart as of Sep 22, 2026. View live chart →
  • West Coast ships at anchor: 3 ships, up 200% week over week per MARAD, now 200% above the five-year median. The anchor count and the berth queue are moving in the same direction on the West Coast this week.
  • All US ships awaiting berth: 7 ships, down 30% week over week per MARAD, 77% below the five-year median. The aggregate queue remains historically subdued despite the West Coast step-up.
  • Gulf Coast ships at anchor cleared to 0, down 100% week over week per MARAD, 100% below the five-year median.
  • East Coast ships at anchor: 4 ships, down 43% week over week per MARAD, 79% below the five-year median.
  • Savannah ships awaiting berth: 1 ship, down 50% week over week per MARAD, 94% below the five-year median and below the complex's trailing-12-month normal of 2 ships. Friction read: Flowing.

August 2026 loaded imports (latest available): LA/Long Beach loaded imports reached 967,013 TEU, above the trailing-12-month normal of 848,128 TEU, per port authority data. The Port of Los Angeles separately reported 955,907 total TEU for August in its September 9, 2026 release, 6% above the port's five-year average and on par with last year. The Northwest Seaport Alliance reported 235,795 total TEU for August, down 8.2% vs. August 2025, with full imports down 10.3%, per the NWSA's September 17, 2026 release. NY/NJ friction read remains Flowing. The BTS truck planning-time index there is 2.23, below its trailing-12-month normal of 3.82, with loaded imports at 392,074 TEU near the trailing-12-month normal of 382,286 TEU per port authority data. Savannah loaded imports: 251,888 TEU, near the trailing-12-month normal of 239,584 TEU per port authority data.

Monthly TEU figures reflect August 2026 volumes; September data will not be published for several weeks.

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