Mike Jacob, President

Examine how the South Coast Air Board’s proposed rule 2304 (ISR) acts as an indirect tax on consumers. This article analyzes regulation impacts, economic implications, and what maritime and logistics sectors need to know.

Discover the latest preliminary container volumes for May 2025, revealing emerging shifts in port trade dynamics. This update highlights trends across major West Coast, East Coast, Gulf, and Canadian ports, offering a snapshot of loaded and empty TEU activity.

Trace the journey of America’s favorite fruit—from tropical plantations to supermarket shelves. This article delves into banana production, shipping logistics, and trade dynamics shaping the fruit’s path to your grocery cart.

Explore West Coast tree nut exports in this data-rich analysis. From almonds and pistachios to walnuts, discover port-specific volumes, top global destinations, and how tariffs and logistics shape California’s vital agricultural trade.

Dive into a data-driven analysis of how container trade is reverting to long-term patterns. This article examines historical norms, trends in empty vs. laden TEUs, and what these shifts reveal about global trade stability and U.S. export competitiveness.

Jock O’Connell

Explore the complexities of America’s containerized export trade in this in-depth analysis by Jock O’Connell. From rising outbound empty TEUs to long-standing trade imbalances, this article examines the economic, political, and logistical forces behind the U.S. backhaul trade. Featuring port-by-port breakdowns and historical context, it offers crucial insight into why empties are overtaking exports and what that reveals about U.S. competitiveness in global trade.

Despite strong opposition, AQMD moves forward with a rebranded "Ports Infrastructure Rule" aimed at regulating port operations. Learn more about the impact of this rule and the upcoming community workshop in our latest update.

Mike Jacob, President

In a political environment with a dearth of work across the aisle, the bipartisanship in efforts to reinvigorate and grow the US footprint in the maritime industry, including in the shipbuilding and equipment manufacturing sectors, is particularly remarkable. 

Jock O’Connell

My late Aunt Euphrasia’s daughter Philomena has long been a prescient source of market intelligence. A notoriously frugal soul, she has always shopped for household staples, along with her usual supply of “cooking” wines, at discount stores she derisively refers to as her “General Buck” stores.

Everyone knows that importers striving to avoid impending tariff increases brought in a passel of products during the first quarter of this year. In every media outlet from print newspapers to gubernatorial podcasts, images depicting seaport operations are used to frame reports about the nation’s foreign trade.

Exhibits 9 and 10 show the nation’s ten leading container gateways ranked by the declared weight and value of containerized imports during the first quarter of 2025.

Mike Jacob, President

In this compelling commentary, PMSA President Mike Jacob critiques recent U.S. tariff policies as self-inflicted setbacks to American global economic leadership. He highlights the risks these measures pose to consumers, supply chains, and long-term industrial growth—including efforts to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding. Jacob calls for a return to trade policies that foster economic strength, global trust, and strategic maritime investment.

U.S. West Coast ports saw a drop in containerized import market share this spring. Explore shifting coastal trends, export transport modes, and 2024’s trade data breakdown.

Explore how retaliatory tariffs are impacting California’s almond, walnut, and pistachio exports. See 2025 YTD volumes and economic effects on U.S. agriculture.

Preliminary March 2025 port data reveals a shift in market share as East and Gulf Coast ports surpass West Coast volumes. See detailed TEU stats from Los Angeles, Long Beach, Virginia, and more.

Jock O’Connell

Explore the impacts of proposed U.S. port-call fees on international trade, West Coast ports, and the future of American shipbuilding. Will tariffs spark a true maritime renaissance?

Despite strong opposition, AQMD moves forward with a rebranded "Ports Infrastructure Rule" aimed at regulating port operations. Learn more about the impact of this rule and the upcoming community workshop in our latest update.

West Coast ports see a surge in import volumes, with USWC handling 47% of U.S. containerized imports. Oakland aims to rebalance trade by boosting exports. Understanding export meaning and trends is key as the port implements its five-year plan. Learn more about shifting trade dynamics and exports definition.

Trump’s tariffs are reshaping U.S. West Coast trade, impacting imports and exports. Explore tariffs definition, tariffs China policies, and tariffs example effects on ports. Learn how tariffs quotas and trade fees may disrupt shipping, with insights into economic shifts and a tariffs synonym for policy changes.