1. The population growth is minimal and not the factor here. There are still far more people on the east coast when you include the south: https://www.census.go

1. The population growth is minimal and not the factor here. There are still far more people on the east coast when you include the south: https://www.census.gov/popclock/data_tables.php?component=growth https://www.census.gov/popclock/data_tables.php?component=gr... 2. Much of the stuff that comes through western ports are coming to the east coast. Things being shipped from China/Japan/etc are usually brought across the US as far as I'm aware.