Backup in ports adds to many product shortages.
A backlog of cargo and container ships are at anchor or drifting off the California coast as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach cannot keep up with the volume. More than 60 vessels await a turn to offload their contents as dock staffing shortages, coronavirus safety protocols, and increased cargo sizes create delays.
According to the executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, this is not a typical situation. “The normal number of ships at anchor is zero to one. They normally meet the arrival time and go right to the dock,” he said.
The Marine Exchange executive director continued, “The ships are waiting at anchor or adrift because there is a backup in the port because there is no room for more ships in the port. … There’s no space. The parking garage is full.”
Shipping is up a third over the same time last year. The delay in getting containers to ports has impacted an already compromised supply chain.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For U.S. officials as they seek to facilitate the offloading of cargo.
- For the port workers as they endeavor to clear the backlog of ships awaiting unloading.
- For the truckers and long-haulers who take the containers from the ports to their destinations.
Sources: USA Today, New York Times, CNN, The Drive
