Why US Direct Purchases Are Delayed... Waiting 8 Days Just for Unloading at LA Port

Ongoing Ship Congestion Since October Last Year
Caused by Labor Shortage in Cargo Handling Due to COVID-19 and Surge in Imports

Ships waiting at the Port of Los Angeles [Image source=MarineTraffic capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] With the successful refloating of the vessel that was stranded in the Suez Canal, the canal operations are expected to resume soon. However, the logistics route to the United States, which has been ongoing since the end of last year, remains congested.

According to Bloomberg News on the 29th (local time), the ship backlog at the Port of Los Angeles (LA), the largest US trade route to Asia, has persisted for several months, and the waiting time for ships increased compared to the previous week as of last weekend.

As of the 28th, the total number of ships waiting to unload at the LA area ports was 26, an increase of 6 ships compared to the previous week (20 ships). The average waiting time for ships also lengthened slightly to 7.9 days from 7.7 days the previous week. Additionally, Bloomberg reported that the volume of imported logistics during January and February increased by 29% compared to the same period last year.

This is an improvement compared to the situation in February when 40 ships were waiting to unload at the LA port. However, with the timing of the resumption of Suez Canal operations still uncertain, the ship congestion on the US West Coast continues, raising concerns in the logistics industry. Bloomberg stated, "An additional 20 ships are expected to arrive at the LA port this week alone," adding, "Along with the Suez Canal situation, there is a possibility that the global logistics congestion could worsen."

The ship backlog at the LA port, which began in October last year, was caused by delays in unloading operations due to difficulties in securing port workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and a significant increase in logistics imports driven by a surge in online shopping by US citizens spending more time at home.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.