Cargo Shift to US East Coast May Be Permanent Loss for Pacific Ports

Ports on the US West Coast could permanently lose as much as 10% of the seaborne cargo that has been diverted to the Atlantic coast amid logistics bottlenecks, regulatory headwinds and labor uncertainty.

Almost one-third of rail shippers avoided Southern California in the past two years, as gateways on the East and Gulf Coasts, as well as in Canada, emerged as attractive destinations, according to a report Monday from New York-based Cowen.