Friday, July 16, 2021

New Research Asserts Supply Chain Issues Drive Congestion at West Coast Ports

New research commissioned by the Pacific Maritime Association says that problems throughout the supply chain drive much of the cargo congestion at West Coast ports.

John Martin, the maritime economist heading the research, asserts that much of what’s slowing cargo movement happens away from the docks.

That includes overfilled warehouses and not having enough available shipping containers, rail cars, trucks or equipment to get the job done. This has caused backlogs at terminals and cargo ships at local seaports, which are experiencing record cargo movement.

“The San Pedro Bay Ports are of monumental importance to the economy of Southern California, as well as California’s statewide economy,” PMA CEO Jim McKenna said in a released statement. “This important new research makes clear that the ongoing terminal and vessel backlogs result from a cumulative collapse of the entire logistics supply chain, overwhelmed by the historic cargo surge.”

“As the supply chain continues to struggle to meet the demands of this historic import surge, we must work collaboratively across industries to identify solutions that span our entire logistics network,” McKenna said.