Essential to AMS Fulfillment are the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Nearly half of the incoming containers entering the United States come into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. These two ports, referred to as the Twin Ports, are the largest in the United States but not the largest in the world. Compared to other ports in the world, they are the 10th largest.
AMS Fulfillment is strategically located near the ports in order to provide an advantage to our clients, especially those engaged in global commerce.
Right now the news from the Twin Ports is good. The Port of Los Angeles handled more than 8.8 million containers of cargo in 2016, setting an all-time record for all ports in the Western Hemisphere. Also in the news is the 2017 Spring forecast of double-digit US import growth. Third on the list, the new US Commerce Secretary also owns a shipping line, and people are wondering how that will affect the maritime industry. We haven’t heard predictions as yet.
AMS pays attention to news from the ports as fulfillment involves being in the middle, between the manufacturer and the consumer, directly impacted by the circumstances and management of the Twin Ports.
There is no need for consumers to contemplate the millions of shipping containers in constant motion around the globe, carrying all kinds of things they use. In most cases, people order or buy products without giving a second thought as to how this product will travel from the place of origin to their local store or their home, or how many companies and individuals might be involved in that travel. They will take an interest, though, if that travel slows down and their favorite product isn’t on the shelf or the item they ordered doesn’t arrive at the front door.
Why would the product not arrive? Well, like anything that moves, ports can be affected by circumstances, some over which they have little control. They can suffer slow-downs, get jammed up, products won’t get unloaded, or containers might sit in the port for a long time, there might be strikes that affect the flow… so many things are possible.
If the ports are bottlenecked or there’s a strike AMS, the clients, and the consumers will feel the pain. The flow of port traffic, port efficiency, the quick resolution of strikes, such as the trucking strike at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach a few years ago, are of major concern.
We have seen these world-renowned Twin Ports grow over the past few years as they are pressed to meet the demands of a growing market. Looking at the Spring season, as we then head into peak season, this growth is not slowing, and in fact, impressive growth is expected this year.
The Twin Ports provide a great deal of strength to the Southern California economy, of which we are a part, so AMS is quite pleased to see that the ports are improving infrastructure, bringing new projects online, and handling an increasing market.
For more information on how AMS’ expertise can benefit you, please contact John Bevacqua at 661-775-0611 or email: [email protected].
