Record-breaking! 97 cargo ships waiting to enter the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

Since the second half of the year, global supply chains have been disrupted, and congestion at U.S. ports has become the norm due to a surge in orders. Freight rates have risen, and there is a shortage of cargo ships, which has worried sellers and forced some large companies such as Walmart and IKEA to charter their own ships to transport goods. However, shipping companies have been able to take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune.

As early as 10 days ago, there were about 65 ships waiting to dock at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in the United States. However, it is understood that on Monday, there were as many as 97 cargo ships waiting to dock at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach! This is unprecedented. According to relevant agencies, if all the containers loaded on the waiting ships were connected, the total length would reach 2,200 kilometers, which is equivalent to half the distance between the east and west coasts of the United States!

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, many items in the United States have been exhausted and there is a serious shortage of goods in the market. In addition, in preparation for the upcoming Black Friday and Christmas, many companies have begun to stock up in large quantities, exporting large quantities of goods from Asia, especially China, and cargo ships have sailed into American ports.

However, due to aging port equipment, low efficiency of container loading and unloading, and untimely cargo transportation on the road, there are long queues of cargo ships waiting to enter the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. According to media reports, American container ships wait an average of about 9 days before entering the port.

The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach are major import and export ports in Southern California. According to statistics, last year, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach handled a total of nearly 8.8 million containers, accounting for 40% of the total number of imported containers in the United States that year.

Moreover, with the increase in freight volume, shipping costs are also soaring. According to the latest data on the 23rd, the freight for a 40-foot standard container shipped from Shanghai to Los Angeles this week has reached US$10,377, equivalent to approximately RMB 67,000, an increase of 329% over the same period last year!

With the arrival of the autumn and winter shopping peak season, freight volume will continue to increase, and sea transportation will continue to be under pressure. The surge in shipping costs and delivery delays caused by port congestion will also force US retailers to raise prices. It is expected that the shopping costs and consumer spending of US consumers will increase further this year.

There are as many as 97 cargo ships waiting to enter the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach