Port Congestion Returning To Pre-Covid Normal In Southern California
March 16, 2023The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Tuesday reported no ships waiting offshore, according to Hellenic Shipping News. The outlet reported that this is the first time since October 2020 that the queue goes to zero.
“The container-ship backup for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has ended,” declared Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, in a statement to the media. “It is time to move into a different phase of operations.”
However, while Southern California ports appear to be going back to normal, the rest of North America continues to face traffic jams in main routes.
The total queue reached a high of around 150 container ships in early 2021, with most waiting vessels off West Coast ports, primarily Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The overall count declined through the spring as the Southern California backlog eased. Then queues began to build off East and Gulf Coast ports as shippers directed more cargo away from the West Coast, according to Hellenic Shipping News.
On a lighter note, East and Gulf Coast congestion has gradually eased over recent months. New York, New Jersey and Houston have significantly reduced ship backlogs.
As of Nov. 23, the largest East Coast backlog was off Savannah, Georgia, with 28 vessels waiting. There were 11 ships off the coast of Virginia, one off New York/New Jersey and one off Freeport, Bahamas.
From FreshFruitPortal