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Image of Ships That Bypassed Oakland Now Restoring Weekly Calls

Ships That Bypassed Oakland Now Restoring Weekly Calls

Press Releases, Seaport
April 7th, 2015

Press Release

For Immediate Release
April 7, 2015

Ships That Bypassed Oakland Now Restoring Weekly Calls

A signal from ocean carriers that West Coast port slowdown has faded

 

Oakland, CA - April 7, 2015: Ships bypassing the Port of Oakland to overcome schedule delays elsewhere are resuming weekly calls here. The Port said today that ocean carriers plan to restore nearly all Oakland services by May. It’s a signal from the maritime sector that recent West Coast cargo delays are fading.

“Some vessels that were omitting Oakland have already started to return, and a look at schedules indicates that the rest will be back soon,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “This tells us that shipping lines are confident we’re recovering from the recent logjam."

More than two dozen vessels bypassed Oakland in January and February to make up for lost time. Their return is welcome on several fronts: Importers can again expect reliable import delivery; Exporters will have ships to take their cargo overseas.

Vessel bypasses contributed to a 31.6% decline in container volume at the Port in January and February. Volume is expected to improve as carriers restore full service.

The temporary service suspensions resulted from a labor-management dispute that slowed all West Coast shipping. Vessels stranded for weeks at Southern California ports skipped Oakland to reach home ports - mostly in Asia - on time.

The labor impasse ended with tentative agreement Feb. 20 on a new longshore worker contract. Since then, ports have been digging out from a heavy cargo backlog. Resumption of Oakland service is seen as one of the last steps on the road to recovery.

The two largest container carriers, Denmark’s Maersk and Geneva-based MSC have already resumed Oakland calls. The G6, an alliance of Asian and European shipping lines, has restored two services and plans to restore two remaining services later in April. By early May, published schedules show Asian alliance CKYHE vessels back on normal rotations that include Oakland.

About the Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.

Media Contact:

Robert Bernardo
Communications Manager
Port of Oakland
(510) 627-1401
Click here to contact Robert Bernardo

Marilyn Sandifur,
Port Spokesperson
Port of Oakland
(510) 627-1193
Click here to contact Marilyn Sandifur