US President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled a plan to alleviate delays in the country’s West Coast ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and California. The Port of Long Beach in September said it would shift to 24/7 operations. Under the plan, the ports of Los Angeles and California would follow suit. FedEx, UPS, Walmart, and Home Depot supported the plan and said they would also expand working hours. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) also said they were willing to work extra shifts at the ports.
The administration is also looking into other moves, including working with states to accelerate the issuance of commercial truck-driver licenses and setting up temporary inland terminals from the ports. US retailers are struggling to secure containers to transport goods from Asia to the US. They have advised consumers to get Christmas presents in October if they want to make sure to get a specific item. They also warned that the disruptions could lead to higher prices during the year-end shopping season.
The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex accounts for about 40% of imports entering the US market. Ship-tracking data showed that around 62 container ships were waiting outside the two ports, with 25 more on the way on October 14. The port of Los Angeles expects its annual throughput to increase 17% to 10.8 million container units this year.
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Published on October 15, 2021 10:50 AM (GMT+8)Last Updated on October 15, 2021 10:50 AM (GMT+8)
