Cargo Vessels Waiting to Berth Outside L.A./Long Beach (As of 5/2/2022)
Source: Marine Traffic

Cargo Vessels Waiting to Berth Outside Select Chinese Ports (As of 5/2/2022) Source: Marine Traffic

The U.S. dairy industry is feeling the pain in China as port backlogs have continued to delay hundreds of millions of dollars worth of dairy exports. While congestion along the U.S. West Coast has declined considerably, Chinese port congestion continues to impact the country’s supply chain following weeks of ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns. A Shanghai lockdown also impacts inland supply chains, further impacting the short supply of truckers.

Even if shipments are halted, orders from the U.S. to China continue to grow. The increased demand could push for a new wave of vessels, leading to the severe U.S. West Coast backlog in 2020. The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council continue to advocate for U.S. ports and infrastructure support to pick up agricultural products by international carriers instead of leaving U.S. ports empty.

Read more on dairy exports and pandemic-induced supply chain backlogs here.