On May 25, the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence released the second edition of their jointly produced annual Container Port Performance Index for 2021. Listed in descending order of efficiency, the worldwide port rankings were based on the time spent by vessels in port exchanging container cargos, and averages were weighted by call size and vessel size.
In the ranking of 370 ports worldwide, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles took the last two spots—369 and 370, respectively. (In 2020, out of 351 ports, Los Angeles had ranked 337 and Long Beach, 341.) The index’s performance metrics showed large variances in port efficiency, which often related to differences in infrastructure spending.
According to the index report, the large queue of ships on the U.S. West Coast in 2021 stemmed from such factors as pandemic-induced labor issues at the ports, slow chassis turns, lack of container staging space, slow rail service, and containers out of position in the network. According to the report, these issues were common among the least efficient ports.
Missouri DOT Seeks Input on Its Transportation Improvement Program
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is inviting public comments on which projects (for fiscal years 2023 to 2027) from its Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) should receive funding. Possible projects include replacement of load-posted bridges; technology to improve the flow of freight; addition of new truck parking facilities; and geometric improvements to interchanges and ramps.
Snapshots by Sector
Export Sales
For the week ending May 19, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans for marketing year 2021/22 totaled 25.8 million metric tons (mmt), up 2 percent from the same time last year and down 8 percent from the previous week.
Net corn export sales were 0.152 mmt, down 63 percent from the previous week. Net soybean export sales were 0.277 mmt, down 63 percent from the previous week. Net weekly wheat export sales were −0.002 mmt, down significantly from the previous week.
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 21,797 grain carloads during the week ending May 21. This was a 1-percent decrease from the previous week, 14 percent fewer than last year, and 7 percent lower than the 3-year average.
Average June shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $1,700 above tariff for the week ending May 26. This was $444 more than last week and $1,981 more than this week last year.
Barge
For the week ending May 28, barged grain movements totaled 947,300 tons. This was 33 percent higher than the previous week and 10 percent higher than the same period last year.
For the week ending May 28, 594 grain barges moved down river—145 more barges than the previous week. There were 475 grain barges unloaded in the New Orleans region, 39 percent fewer than last week.
Ocean
For the week ending May 26, 26 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf—21 percent fewer than the same period last year. Within the next 10 days (starting May 27), 36 vessels were expected to be loaded—5 percent fewer than the same period last year.
As of May 26, the rate for shipping a metric ton (mt) of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan was $81.50. This was 1 percent less than the previous week. The rate from the Pacific Northwest to Japan was $47.00 per mt, unchanged from the previous week.