Rising transportation costs, a shortage of goods and COVID-19 disruptions are being blamed for a nationwide shortage of shipments that normally come from Asia — but how real is the shortage when, as of Friday, September 17, 2021, at least 65 cargo ships were sitting off the coast of California, waiting for permission to dock and unload?
And those 65 were just the ones stuck at anchor. Normally there is a maximum of one ship waiting to dock, according to Business Insider. With nearly half of all U.S. shipments coming in through California, this backlog is a major cause of delays in goods across the country.
If the wait in the water weren’t enough, supply chain officials say warehouses that house the goods once they’re unloaded are filling up, too, to the point of overflow. One expert said part of the delay is because ocean liners and factories were sidelined during the early days of the pandemic, and now are stymied by the surge in demand for goods as the world’s economies start back up.
Business Insider September 20, 2021
Quartz September 17, 2021