Evergreen Chairman Chang Yen-yi said U.S. West Coast ports, especially Los Angeles and Long Beach, could see heavier congestion next month. He cited rising freight rates and the addition of more capacity by ocean carriers as key reasons.

At Evergreen’s annual meeting, Chang said the company expected elevated freight rates to last through September as businesses rush to ship goods during a 90-day pause in the U.S.-China tariff conflict that began on May 12.

Around 200,000 TEUs are already anchored off North American coasts, but Chang believes that number is likely to grow as more capacity is deployed. He predicted freight levels would match the highs earlier this year by late June. “With the suspension of U.S.-China tariffs, cargo owners are eager to resume shipments and, this month, spot freight rates have gone up rapidly.”

Evergreen remained confident that peak season from August to September would bring even higher volumes and rates. “We [liners] can’t mobilize enough ships to meet the substantial spurt in demand, so freight rates will continue rising. We’re optimistic about the usual peak season, from August to September,” Chang said.

When asked about the end of the tariff reprieve, company executives said they didn’t believe the U.S. would impose steeper duties, as doing so would likely hurt American consumers. Still, Evergreen acknowledged that market trends depended on broader economic policy and trade shifts.

The company noted that the International Monetary Fund had recently revised its global growth forecast for 2025 from 3.3% to 2.8%, indicating a slowing of global economic momentum.

Source: The Loadstar