Last week the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on improving supply chain information to enhance efficiency and competitiveness of U.S. West Coast ports. According to the report, West Coast ports have not responded quickly enough to recent changes in global shipping trends, resulting in increased costs or diminished revenues for shippers. Some shippers have modified their supply chains to divert shipments to ports outside the West Coast and are using alternate modes of transportation. GAO recommends that Department of Transportation identify what supply chain information is needed, potential sources of information, and data gaps to develop a freight data strategy to strengthen the role of freight transportation in U.S. economic competitiveness.

The official GAO report can be found here.