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Port congestion, container shortages, and U.S. foreign trade

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  • Steinbach, Sandro

Abstract

This paper assesses the U.S. foreign trade effects of port congestion and container shortages using event studies and monthly trade data at the port-product level. The results show that the U.S. exported 24.5 percent fewer containers between May and November 2021, amounting to export losses of -$15.7 billion. In addition, I document considerable heterogeneity between commodities, with chemical products, followed by transport equipment, machinery, and vegetable products facing the brunt of the economic damages. These estimates indicate how port congestion and container shortages undermine the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in foreign markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Steinbach, Sandro, 2022. "Port congestion, container shortages, and U.S. foreign trade," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:213:y:2022:i:c:s0165176522000659
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2022.110392
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    Cited by:

    1. repec:ags:aaea22:335482 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Steinbach, Sandro, 2023. "The Russia–Ukraine war and global trade reallocations," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    3. Alexander Chupin & Dmitry Morkovkin & Marina Bolsunovskaya & Anna Boyko & Alexander Leksashov, 2024. "Techno-Economic Sustainability Potential of Large-Scale Systems: Forecasting Intermodal Freight Transportation Volumes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Sandro Steinbach & Xiting Zhuang, 2023. "The impact of maritime shipping disruptions on US tree nut exports and inventories," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(3), pages 904-911, July.
    5. Carter, Colin A. & Steinbach, Sandro & Zhuang, Xiting, 2022. "Global Container Trade Disruptions and U.S. Agricultural Exports," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322364, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Goyal, Raghav & Steinbach, Sandro, 2023. "Agricultural commodity markets in the wake of the black sea grain initiative," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    7. Guerrero, David & Niérat, Patrick & Thill, Jean-Claude, 2023. "Connecting short and long distance perspectives in freight transportation: Introduction to a special issue," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    8. repec:ags:aaea22:335476 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Soojung Ahn & Dongin Kim & Sandro Steinbach, 2023. "The impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on grain and oilseed trade," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 291-299, January.
    10. Colin A. Carter & Sandro Steinbach & Xiting Zhuang, 2023. "Supply chain disruptions and containerized agricultural exports from California ports," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(2), pages 1051-1071, June.
    11. Carter, Colin A. & Steinbach, Sandro & Zhuang, Xiting, 2022. "Global Shipping Container Disruptions and U.S. Agricultural Exports," Working Papers 320397, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Supply chain disruptions; U.S. exports; Event study; Treatment heterogeneity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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