Q4 2025 Port Congestion for Amazon Sellers: What is happening, why it matters, and exactly what to do
Executive summary
Import volumes into the United States are running high again in late summer 2025, which increases pressure on major gateways, especially Southern California.
Isolated terminal incidents and weather events can pause yard operations and amplify delays during peak season.
Nationwide import volumes remain elevated compared with last year, a threshold that historically strains port and inland capacity.
Savannah and other East Coast gateways are handling strong demand ahead of Q4, with dwell times and berthing waits that can ripple into truck and rail delays.
Golden Week in China falls around October 1 to 8 in 2025, creating a production and paperwork pause that coincides with the start of Q4.
Amazon continues to manage inbound flow with monthly FBA capacity limits and related rules. In many accounts, this makes shipment creation the bottleneck even when freight clears the port.
Bottom line: inventory that is already in the United States and close to Amazon wins Q4. When FBA capacity is tight or shipment creation is blocked until a date like October 1, the fastest path is to move goods now to a side warehouse in the U.S. and drip feed to FBA as capacity opens.
1) The current state at major U.S. ports
Los Angeles and Long Beach
Southern California remains the largest import gateway into the United States. High summer volumes confirm what many shippers feel on the ground: peak like flows are back ahead of Q4. Even short pauses at a single terminal can add hours or days during peak weeks. When yard space is tight and truck appointments are scarce, a localized disruption can have an outsized effect on downstream schedules.
Market watchers report that some truck and rail metrics have stayed relatively stable at times through mid season. Stability can change quickly as additional ships arrive, as labor or weather events hit, or as terminals run short of chassis and yard space.
Savannah and the East Coast
Savannah is a critical Q4 gateway for many Amazon sellers. Operational dashboards often show import dwell times that approach a week and measurable berthing waits depending on vessel class. Even modest waits cascade into truck appointments, chassis turns, and storage costs if you are not positioned to pick up quickly.
Across the country, the macro picture is the same. Strong late summer import totals mean fewer slack resources to absorb shocks. When volume is high, the system has less elasticity.
A note on labor risk
Recent labor tensions on the East and Gulf Coasts were addressed earlier in the year, which reduced immediate strike risk. Labor remains a background variable that can change routing choices with little notice. Smart routing plans keep alternates open.
2) Why congestion and delay risk rise into Q4
High import volumes and vessel bunching
Retailers and brands front load inventory when policy changes or promotional calendars feel uncertain. As ships cluster around schedule windows, terminals get hit with uneven work loads that stress gates, cranes, and yard space. High monthly totals on the West Coast and strong national figures illustrate this effect.
Golden Week in China
China’s National Day holiday runs around October 1 to 8 in 2025. Factories and many offices pause. Documentation, trucking to ports, and container stuffing slow down or stop. The result is a pre holiday rush to ship out followed by a post holiday catch up that can bunch vessels and increase rolling risk.
Capacity constraints beyond the pier
Gate queues, chassis availability, and rail slot allocation can become the real bottleneck, even when berth times are manageable. East Coast metrics show how inland connections magnify small delays.
Operational surprises
From weather to isolated safety incidents, unexpected events can shut part of a terminal for hours or a day. In peak periods, a single pause can push thousands of containers past free time and disrupt truck schedules.
3) What this means for Amazon sellers
Inventory held in China is exposed to multiple clock risks
Port delays plus Golden Week plus ocean transit mean your goods may miss key Q4 windows if you wait to move. Once on the water, you still face the U.S. port and inland legs as well as FBA intake timing.
FBA capacity is a separate limiter
Amazon’s current approach includes monthly capacity limits and rules that can tighten with little notice. If you cannot create a shipping plan until a date such as October 1, inventory sitting offshore or at a congested port is effectively idle.
Demurrage and storage cost risk grows
When terminals are busy and appointments are scarce, importers who do not have immediate pickup plans face daily charges that erode margin. That cost can be higher than a short stint in a domestic warehouse if you plan the move early.
Q4 is won by availability
Search ranking and Buy Box share depend on staying in stock. In peak weeks a single stockout can wipe out the benefit of weeks of ad spend and SEO work. The most resilient sellers decouple international transit from FBA intake by holding a safety stock in the U.S. and drip feeding to FBA.
4) A realistic timeline for the next 6 to 10 weeks
Now through late September
Last pre holiday sailings depart China as factories and forwarders prepare for Golden Week. Booking pressure rises. If your cargo is not yet booked, expect higher roll risk and longer transit times.
October 1 to 8: Golden Week
Factory production and office staffing slow sharply in China. New shipments lag. After the break, pent up volumes push onto vessels. Expect schedule changes and variable cutoffs.
Mid October through November
The U.S. port and inland network absorbs the post holiday surge while retailers finalize Black Friday and Cyber Monday stock. FBA intake times fluctuate with building level capacity, staffing, and appointment availability.
Takeaway: if your Amazon account shows limited capacity until a fixed date, the winning strategy is to get goods into the United States now and position them near Amazon.
5) The Proboxx playbook for Q4 2025
This is the same approach we recommended today to a seller who could not create a shipping plan until October 1.
Step 1: Move cargo now to a U.S. side warehouse
Route to Southern California or the East Coast based on current sailings and your buyer geography.
Target quick pickup on arrival to avoid demurrage and yard storage.
Transload into domestic pallets and cartons that match FBA requirements to compress later lead times.
Why this helps: you separate the ocean and port risk from the Amazon gate. Your goods are available for immediate release the moment FBA capacity opens.
Step 2: Build rolling FBA plans and reserve truck capacity
Prepare multiple small FBA shipments instead of one large push.
Hold labels and routing preferences ready so you can release within hours when capacity increases.
Use SPD or LTL intelligently. For fast turns, SPD can beat LTL into many buildings. For volume lanes, LTL or FTL consolidation from the side warehouse keeps cost down.
Step 3: Apply strict demurrage avoidance rules
Arrange pre cleared customs and immediate terminal pickup.
Use drop trailers or extended gate hour slots when offered by the terminal.
Keep a chassis plan and backup dray carrier on file for each gateway you use.
Step 4: Create a two coast buffer strategy
West Coast: Proboxx California warehouse for fast access to multiple FBA buildings in the Southwest and West.
East Coast: optional positioning to cover high demand on the Atlantic corridor and reduce cross country linehaul.
Shift releases between coasts based on where Amazon assigns buildings and where your ad spend is concentrated.
Step 5: Monitor the three numbers that matter
Days of cover in FBA by ASIN and SKU.
U.S. side weeks of buffer in Proboxx warehouses.
Time to Prime which is the combined clock from release to FBA check in to Offer becomes Buy Box eligible.
6) Routing and mode guidance by situation
If your goods are still at factory
Book next possible sailings even if routing is not ideal. A slightly longer transit that leaves now is often better than a perfect routing that rolls.
Request earlier cutoffs and high priority stuffing for time sensitive SKUs.
Confirm that your supplier can complete booking documents before the holiday window to prevent paperwork holds.
If your goods are already on the water
Prepare for flexible pickup on arrival.
Decide now whether to go straight to Amazon or into a side warehouse. If your account shows capacity constraints, prioritize the warehouse.
If the vessel is scheduled to call multiple West Coast ports, analyze which terminal has better dray capacity and make a pickup plan for that terminal.
If the container has discharged and you cannot create an FBA plan
Pull immediately to a Proboxx warehouse.
Breakbulk and re pallet to FBA specs.
Release smaller shipments aligned to the capacity you receive week by week.
7) Cost control during congestion
Compare demurrage plus per diem to short term warehousing
Even a few days of demurrage can outprice two to three weeks in a warehouse. Early decision making usually saves money.
Transload to avoid inland rail queue
If rail dwell rises, dray to a nearby warehouse and use domestic truckload or LTL to position by region. This is often faster than waiting for on dock rail slots during peak. Where rail dwell is stable, keep the intermodal option on the table.
Right size your FBA drops
Smaller, more frequent releases reduce the chance that a single building delay blocks all your inventory.
Leverage SPD when the clock is more valuable than the rate
For critical SKUs, SPD from a California warehouse can beat standard LTL into many western and central buildings.
8) Compliance and Amazon specific considerations
Understand capacity limits and low inventory fees
Plan release cadence so you avoid both stockouts and penalties for running lean at FBA. The goal is to maintain enough weeks of cover while keeping cash flow healthy.
Labeling, carton, and pallet standards
Fix these at the warehouse. Rework at the dock wastes time and money.
Reserve returns and reverse logistics space
Q4 returns can spike in December. Keeping returns processing separate from your inbound flow prevents jams in January.
9) Risk watch list for September to November
Import volume trend
If monthly volumes stay near or above recent highs, expect pressure to persist. Build buffer time into your plans.
Terminal notices and unexpected closures
Keep an eye on local safety events, weather, or maintenance that trigger temporary shutdowns. If your vessel calls a terminal that experiences a pause, prioritize fast pickup.
Savannah dwell and berthing times
If dwell creeps above a week and berthing waits lengthen, assume truck appointments will tighten and plan warehouse intake accordingly.
China post holiday bounces
Expect bunching after October 8. Consider routings with more frequent sailings to reduce roll risk.
10) Proboxx solutions that map to this playbook
California side warehousing with rapid FBA release
Receive, transload, relabel, and ship to Amazon within hours of capacity opening. The goal is to keep your top SKUs always in stock while avoiding demurrage and long FBA intake lines.
Drayage and appointment orchestration
We secure dray power and arrange immediate pickups to beat free time clocks at terminals under pressure.
Multi node inventory strategy
West Coast primary with optional East Coast buffer for demand on the Atlantic corridor.
Capacity planning aligned to Amazon rules
We translate your capacity limits into weekly release plans by ASIN so you protect rank and revenue.
Exception management and status transparency
Live milestone reporting from last free day to dock appointment booked to FBA check in, so your team can prioritize ads and promotions with confidence.
11) Frequently asked questions
Should I switch to air for urgent units
Use a split strategy. Air small replenishment waves for your highest velocity SKUs to bridge gaps. Keep the bulk moving by ocean to the side warehouse.
Is the East Coast safer than the West Coast right now
Both coasts are busy. West Coast has the largest throughput and frequent weekly sailings. East Coast has good access to Atlantic buyers. Track dwell and berthing indicators each week and route where your inland plan is strongest.
What if Amazon blocks my shipment creation until a date like October 1
Move goods to the U.S. now. Store at a side warehouse. Prepare multiple small FBA plans and release the moment capacity increases.
Closing
This is not the time to gamble with inventory. Q4 is won by sellers who have stock in the United States and close to Amazon.
If you want a simple plan to get your goods off the port and ready for fast FBA release, we can help.
Talk to Proboxx about California warehousing and Q4 release planning.
Message me here or contact me directly and we will map your ASINs, capacity, and timeline into a week by week execution plan.