Why Trade Balance Data Misses the Port Congestion Story

Episode 98 of The Trade Deficit Podcast with Fexingo explores why the official US trade balance numbers for May 2026—a deficit of $77.6 billion—may be misleading. Lucas and Luna break down how port congestion on the West Coast and the Great Lakes is causing import values to spike even as actual container volumes are flat. They cite data from the Port of Los Angeles showing that the average container dwell time has risen to 13 days, up from 5 days a year ago, which artificially inflates customs valuation. The conversation connects this to the broader trend of supply chain reshuffling away from China and toward Vietnam and Mexico, and questions whether policymakers are reacting to noise rather than signal. #TradeDeficit #PortCongestion #SupplyChain #Imports #Exports #TradeBalance #USChinaTrade #Logistics #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #PortOfLosAngeles #CustomsData #GlobalTrade #VietnamManufacturing #Nearshoring #ContainerShipping #TradeData Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo