Public Q1 data shows a volume cooldown but generally stable operations across key US West Coast ports, without systemic berth congestion.
For sellers, this is a structural replenishment window rather than a blind front-loading phase. Separate fast-turn SKUs from campaign SKUs and ship in rolling batches.
A regional inbound strategy is recommended: use West Coast nodes for forward deployment and Central/East nodes for peak buffering.
Track three metrics weekly—appointment windows, receiving availability, and final-mile volatility—and link them to in-transit stock.