by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

According to Hapag-Lloyd's latest operational update, the Port of Tacoma is currently facing extended rail congestion due to large import volumes.

The German carrier reports import rail dwell times are 5.8 days at Husky and 9.6 days at Washington United Terminal.

"Rail car supply is in severe deficit, causing higher import rail dwell times," Hapag-Lloyd said. "No major improvement [is] expected during the month of August."

Carriers like ONE have announced shifting vessel rotations to avoid delays.

The Journal of Commerce (JOC) revealed that port rotations of six of its Transpacific services will be changed to call Vancouver Port before proceeding to Tacoma.

A surge in imports as the leading cause

The surge in imports at North American west coast ports, particularly Vancouver, has led to increased container dwell times.

The surge is attributed to an early peak shipping season in the Transpacific, prompting carriers to add additional services.

Retailers are also diverting imports from Vancouver to Seattle-Tacoma due to the planned work stoppages at Canadian railroads.

US imports from Asia through the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) in Seattle and Tacoma spiked 51% year over year in July, reports the JOC.