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NO RELIEF IN SIGHT FOR
L.A.-LONG BEACH CARGO JAM
Inbound ships were still being sent to
anchor at the Los Angeles-Long Beach ports last week with turnaround time
for container ships holding at five to six days - almost twice the
three-to-four days it usually takes. On Friday, according to the Marine
Exchange of Southern California, there were more than 60 ships in the two
ports with 18 of them at anchor. Usually there are only 35 to 40 ships in
harbor at one time.
The jam is the result of a larger than
expected volume of cargo, bigger ships, a shortage of ILWU labor, an
inability by the railroads to keep up with the flow of freight, and
unhappiness among the contract truck drivers who service the ports. July
container stats released last week by the Port of Long Beach showed import
containers up 21.9 percent over July 2003, and export containers up 1.8
percent. L.A. figures were not yet available.
The Marine Exchange has been able to
confirm at least 14 vessels that have been diverted to other ports since
the congestion began in late June with some going to U.S. ports and some
diverting to ports in Mexico. The number of container ship arrivals also
are down, an indication that there probably have been other unreported
diversions.
The problem with diversion is that the 50
percent of the cargo earmarked for Southern California destinations has to
be brought back to the area by train or truck.
Director of the Marine Exchange Capt.
Manny Aschemeyer has been sending out daily email summaries of the
situation to a long list of folks in the industry. The bulletins - much
like dispatches from the front lines of a war - are eagerly scanned by
freight intermediaries, importers and others in the supply chain for any
sign that the crisis is abating. So far, the daily reports hold little
promise that things are going to change anytime soon.
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