Criticality of U.S. Food Supply Chains from Latin America

Food imports from Latin America via ocean transport are important for the U.S. food supply and economic growth. The resilience of the U.S. port network is fundamental in maintaining this supply. A disruption in one or more ports could compromise the network’s capacity to keep a smooth flow of perishable goods before their expiration date. This study focuses on seven critical perishable goods, including dry, cold, and frozen containerized cargo. It first develops a network analysis for each node and path, identifying the centrality and criticality of primary ports and maritime routes within the U.S. Furthermore, it explores the potential consequences of disruption in these primary ports through simulation and proposes contingency strategies. The results rank the most critical ports by node degree, betweenness and closeness centralities, as well as the volume, and value of goods received. Additionally, the simulation displays the reallocation of bananas to other viable ports in the event of partial or total reductions of operations at a critical port. Such an analysis offers alternative solutions within the U.S port network for vessels whose original destinations experience disruptions.