Recent headlines about the Panama Canal, port concessions in Latin America, and strategic realignments in global shipping have reignited conversations across the logistics and procurement world. For organizations, these developments are immediate signals to assess risk exposure, optimize routing decisions and reevaluate resilience strategies.
At interos.ai, our latest analysis shows that these developments are already leaving a mark. Port activity volatility, re-routings, and transit delays are surfacing across key routes, with noticeable impacts on shipment timing, congestion patterns, and port-to-port dependencies.
Legal Uncertainty Around Port Ownership and Operations
The challenges unfolding in the Panama Canal could drastically change how two of the country’s most strategic ports are operated and managed. Both are currently operated by Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of Hong Kong–based CK Hutchison, under a concession that began in 1997 and was extended in 2021. Now, Panama’s Comptroller General and the newly elected administration are challenging the legitimacy of that renewal, citing irregularities, lack of transparency and national interest concerns.
If upheld, this creates immediate uncertainty for cargo owners and logistics providers relying on these vital ports for Panama Canal transits and regional shipments. The legal dispute is also delaying planned infrastructure investments and raising questions about future access, cost structures and operational reliability.
Panama Emerges as a Strategic Pivot Point in the China-U.S. Supply Chain Corridor
While the focus is often on direct import and export activity, our data shows that Panama continues to function as a critical transshipment hub, particularly for complex, multi-leg shipments. According to interos.ai data, from January 1, 2022 to present (July 24, 2025), China accounts for 30% of shipment volume where Panama is used as an intermediate stop before goods are forwarded to the U.S. Additionally, in 2025 China has accounted for 43% of shipment volume routed through Panama, highlighting on-going supply chain and trade route dependencies, even as U.S. organizations seek to diversify their supply chains away from China-sourced goods.
For global supply chain leaders, this data underscores the importance of tracking not just origin and destination points, but also routing behavior and reliance on specific transit hubs, especially as geopolitical tensions continue to rise and the future remains uncertain.
In 2025 so far, China accounts for 43% of shipment volume routed through Panama. This trend highlights the country’s continued influence in global trade routes.
U.S. Port Activity Splits as Tariffs and Diversification Reshape Trade Routes
The uncertainty in Panama is not the only impact reshaping U.S. port dynamics. Based on interos.ai data from January to June 2025, there’s a clear shift in how ports in Long Beach and New York are performing due to ongoing geopolitical tensions and supply chain realignments stemming from tariff pressures, sourcing diversification and evolving trade routes.
According to interos.ai data, the Port of Long Beach experienced the largest reduction (-15% drop in H1 2025 Year over Year) in shipment volumes across all U.S. ports. Even still Long Beach remained the #2 port by shipment volume, second only to the Port of Los Angeles.
From January to June 2025, 79% of the port’s imports came from China — with Hong Kong, Vietnam, South Korea, and Thailand rounding out the top five. This drop in shipments is likely due to the port’s concentration in import volumes from China and East Asia resulting from a combination of ongoing tariff shocks, rising geopolitical friction with China, and a broader push by U.S. companies to diversify their sourcing and reduce reliance on single-country supply chains.
China made up nearly 79% of imports to the Port of Long Beach, reflecting the port’s strong trade ties with East Asia.
The Port of New York looks vastly different to Long Beach. Unlike its West Coast counterpart, the port has grown significantly in volume (up 51% in H1 2025 compared to the year prior). Even still, it is important to note that he Port of New York receives 1/5th of the shipment volume as the Port of Long Beach.
When analyzing the top ten imports to the Port of New York, 26% of imports came from India, 8% from China, 16% from Italy, 13% from France and 8% from Germany, signaling less reliance on China and emphasizing the importance of diversification.
New York port’s top imports in early 2025 came from a diverse mix of countries, led by India, China and Italy, reflecting broader supply chain diversification trends.
What’s Inside the Container Matters: Product Mix Drives East Coast Gains
U.S. ports are experiencing uneven performance, and the difference lies in what they’re moving. Ports like New York are gaining ground with a more diverse import mix, including apparel, prepared foods, alcoholic beverages, and vehicle parts, categories that show resilience amid economic shifts and evolving consumer demand. In contrast, Long Beach’s reliance on bulk imports from Asia, including plastics, furniture, and kitchenware, is exposing it to greater volatility amid tariff pressures and sourcing shifts.
The data underscores a broader trend: ports with diversified, high-demand goods, near major population centers and stronger East Coast access are likely better positioned to weather supply chain uncertainties.
Navigating Global Shipping Volatility by Building a More Resilient Supply Chain
With today’s volatility across supplier networks, port infrastructure, and geopolitical fault lines, organizations must go beyond knowing who they source from, they need visibility into how goods move across the globe.
Shifting port volumes, legal uncertainty in critical transit hubs like Panama, and escalating trade tensions are fundamentally reshaping global logistics. Traditional sourcing and logistics strategies can no longer keep up with today’s dynamic supply chain landscape, they simply weren’t built for this level of complexity. That’s where interos.ai comes in.
interos.ai delivers an AI-powered, end-to-end view of your extended supply chain, providing deep insights into risks, dependencies and hidden vulnerabilities across every tier. With interos.ai, you can shift from reactive to proactive supply chain risk management, anticipating disruptions, uncovering weaknesses, and adapting faster than the next crisis hits.
Speak to a supply chain expert today to learn how interos.ai can turn uncertainty into a competitive advantage.