A recording-breaking 44 container ships are idling off the coast of Los Angeles and Long Beach as maritime trade is held up by labor shortages and Covid-19-related disruptions.
The number of ships anchored outside the ports exceeds the previous record of 40 set in February, and which had been matched twice last week according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which tracks ship traffic in the area. The average wait time for ships to enter the port now sits at 7.6 days, according to Port of Los Angeles data, up from 6.2 earlier in the month. Normally, the number of container ships at anchor outside the twin ports is between zero and one, Kip Loutitt, executive director of the Marine Exchange stated. The ports serve as the entry point for a third of imports to the US, and are the main import point for goods coming from China, the outlet reported.
The traffic jam comes as companies stock up…
