October Port of Oakland cargo volume declined as ships diverted to Asia

Officials at the Port of Oakland on Monday announced a decline in total cargo volume for the month of October compared to 2020.

Total cargo volume declined 20 percent in the last month. Import volume dropped by 14 percent and export volume dropped by 27 percent compared to October 2020 totals, port officials said.

The decline in cargo volume is attributed to a dip in vessel traffic.

Port officials said 43 percent fewer ships stopped this year at the Oakland port compared to numbers from October 2020. Carriers diverted ships directly to Asia after delays in Southern Californian ports and bypassed Oakland.

The Port of Oakland is not experiencing the same supply congestion as at other U.S. ports, officials said, adding that shipping lines have begun restoring suspended Oakland vessel services so cargo volume is expected to increase in the future.

In October, 61 ships called in at the Oakland port, compared to 54 in September. An even larger number of vessel arrivals is expected for November.

Producers who ship out of the port have faced barriers with decreased vessel space before but officials say an increased amount of vessel arrivals was expected for November.