Comparison of top 5 largest ports in the US by TEU's
- Andres Vite
- Oct 12, 2023
- 5 min read
If this is not your fist time reading my blog, chances are, you are interested in importing or exporting from the US, so you might want to know which are the largest ports in the country and how they compare to each other. In this blog post, I will write an analysis comparing the largest 5 ports in the US by TEU's (twenty-foot equivalent units), which is a common measure of containerized cargo capacity. I will consider the following elements: proximity to large consumption centers, proximity to consolidated manufacturing centers, existing infrastructure from the port to those centers, port duty rates and other related costs, port congestion, main exporting and importing countries to that port and typical goods traded through that port. I will start with the smallest and finish with the largest of the top 5 ports.
Savannah, Georgia
The fifth largest port in the US by TEU's is the Port of Savannah, located in Georgia. It handled 4.6 million TEU's in 2020, an increase of 1.8% from 2019. The port is close to major consumption centers such as Atlanta, Charlotte and Orlando, and has access to rail and highway networks that connect it to inland markets. The port also has a low duty rate of 0.125% for most goods, and offers competitive pricing and incentives for shippers. The main challenge for the port is congestion, as it operates at near capacity and faces delays and bottlenecks. The port is expanding its infrastructure and capacity to cope with the growing demand. The main trading partners of the port are China, India, Germany, Vietnam and South Korea, and the main goods traded are furniture, auto parts, machinery, apparel and chemicals.
Seattle, Washington
The fourth largest port in the US by TEU's is the Port of Seattle-Tacoma, also known as the Northwest Seaport Alliance. It handled 4.7 million TEU's in 2020, a decrease of 1.4% from 2019. The port is located in Washington state and serves as a gateway to Alaska, Canada and Asia. It is close to large consumption centers such as Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, and has access to rail and road networks that connect it to inland markets. The port has a moderate duty rate of 0.346% for most goods, and offers various services and facilities for shippers. The main challenge for the port is competition from other West Coast ports such as Los Angeles and Long Beach, which have larger capacities and lower costs. The port is investing in modernization and automation projects to improve its efficiency and competitiveness. The main trading partners of the port are China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, and the main goods traded are electronics, machinery, vehicles, wood products and agricultural products.
New York, New York
The third largest port in the US by TEU's is the Port of New York-New Jersey, located in New York and New Jersey. It handled 7.5 million TEU's in 2020, an increase of 1.5% from 2019. The port is the largest on the East Coast and serves as a gateway to Europe, Africa and South America. It is close to huge consumption centers such as New York City, Philadelphia and Boston, and has access to rail and road networks that connect it to inland markets. The port has a high duty rate of 0.446% for most goods, but also offers various incentives and discounts for shippers. The main challenge for the port is congestion, as it operates at near capacity and faces delays and bottlenecks.
The port is expanding its infrastructure and capacity to cope with the growing demand. The main trading partners of the port are China, India, Germany, Brazil and Belgium, and the main goods traded are furniture, auto parts, machinery, chemicals and beverages.
Long Beach, California
The second largest port in the US by TEU's is the Port of Long Beach, located in California. It handled 8.1 million TEU's in 2020, an increase of 6.3% from 2019.
The port is one of the busiest in the world and serves as a gateway to Asia and Oceania. It is close to large consumption centers such as Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas, and has access to rail and road networks that connect itto inland markets.
The port has a low duty rate of 0.125% for most goods,and offers various services and facilities for shippers.
The main challenge for the port is competition from other West Coast ports such as Los Angeles and Seattle-Tacoma, which have larger capacities and lower costs.
The port is investing in modernization and automation projects to improve its efficiency
and competitiveness.
The main trading partners of the port are China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam, and the main goods traded are electronics, machinery, vehicles, plastics and petroleum products.
Largest port in the US: Los Angeles, California
The largest port in the US by TEU's is the Port of Los Angeles, located in California. It handled 9.2 million TEU's in 2020, an increase of 1.5% from 2019. The port is the busiest in the Western Hemisphere and serves as a gateway to Asia and Oceania. It is close to large consumption centers such as Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas, and has access to rail and road networks that connect it to inland markets. The port has a low duty rate of 0.125% for most goods, and offers various services and facilities for shippers. The main challenge for the port is congestion, as it operates at near capacity and faces delays and bottlenecks. The port is expanding its infrastructure and capacity to cope with the growing demand. The main trading partners of the port are China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam, and the main goods traded are electronics, machinery, vehicles, plastics and petroleum products.
To illustrate how these ports compare to each other, let's take an example of an automotive plant in Atlanta that imports circuits from Korea for its production. Which port would be the best option for this plant? Based on the analysis above, the Port of Savannah would be the most convenient choice, as it is the closest to Atlanta and has a low duty rate and competitive pricing. The Port of New York-New Jersey would be the second best option, as it has a large capacity and offers incentives and discounts for shippers. The Port of Seattle-Tacoma would be the third best option, as it has a moderate duty rate and access to rail and road networks. The Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles would be the least favorable options, as they have high competition and congestion, and are far from Atlanta.
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