Container volume at the Port of Los Angeles hit a new high in 2021!

Affected by the epidemic, this year's shipping crisis has become a dilemma that every cross-border seller cannot escape. The demand for imported products from the United States has skyrocketed, and major ports are overloaded, seriously affecting the normal operation of the global supply chain.

At the same time, major ports in the United States are also taking various measures to alleviate congestion. According to foreign media reports, the circulation volume of 20-foot containers at the Port of Los Angeles in the United States hit a record high of 10.7 million in 2021 , an increase of 13% over the record set in 2018 .

Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles , said this situation is likely to continue . " The purchasing habits of American consumers have not changed, and the demand for imported goods has not decreased . We are now working about 17-18 ships a day at the port. This is a 70-80% increase in productivity over pre -COVID-19 levels, " Seroka said .

The Port of Los Angeles has received an average of 900,000 containers per month for 18 months , and before the COVID-19 pandemic, one month had already set a record. Seroka said that although the number of container ships entering the port is the same as last fall, there have been container ships staying in the waters outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach .

Port congestion is also troubling the US government. In mid-October, Seroka met with US President Biden and other transportation leaders at the White House. Seroka said Biden is most concerned about economic issues and he hopes that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach can operate 24 hours a day.

At the same time, due to the large number of containers stranded at the port, some ports have begun to charge "container detention fees" . In order to allow retailers to return cargo containers to the port more quickly, two ports in California announced on October 25 that they would levy container detention fees to put pressure on retailers to return containers faster to help solve the congestion problem.

Officials at the Port of Los Angeles also recently said they plan to charge demurrage fees for empty containers that stay at the port for nine days or more. If approved by the Port Commission, the policy will take effect on January 30, 2022.

Seroka also said that since Chinese factories are planning to complete shipments before the New Year shutdown, the Port of Los Angeles is currently taking measures to prepare for a "small peak" next month .

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