Congestion at ports and increased shipping costs pose unique challenges for U.S. exporters, who have seen the price of shipping containers increase four-fold in just two years. Meanwhile, ocean carriers that are mostly foreign-owned have reported record profits. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, following passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022.

More and more Asian shippers are routing their waterborne exports to the U.S. through ports in the Gulf of Mexico, notably Houston, in order to avoid the bottlenecks and congestion at other large U.S. gateways.

As fulfillment and delivery rates increase, ecommerce operators are adding surcharges for merchants and pushing consumers away from residential delivery options.