[DoodleDawg]

The Foreign ships didn't bother going to Southern ports because there was no advantage to doing so.

Especially since there was no demand for the imported goods.

The navigation act of 1817 made it unprofitable for foreign ships to go to Southern ports.

Then who took the cotton from Southern ports to Europe? U.S. ships?

[DiogenesLamp]

Especially since there was no demand for the imported goods.

And here is that cognitive dissonance again.

The people with money buy the goods. The demand may have come from Charleston, but the goods were dropped off in New York, and then an American coastal packet delivered them to the people who bought them, while taking a larger than warranted delivery charge.

New York was cleaning up both directions.

Then who took the cotton from Southern ports to Europe? U.S. ships?

I would imagine it was both American ships and Foreign ships, but probably mostly American ships.