For nearly a yr now, I’ve been speaking concerning the logistics downside for product (most notably, therapeutic massage chairs) coming to the USA from China. There was a again up on the Port of Lengthy Seashore because the 4th quarter of final yr. Chairs coming from China had been backed up for 4-6 weeks earlier than lastly attending to the warehouses of the distributors.
Effectively, after nearly a yr, you’d assume that issues have labored themselves out and began getting again to regular. Truthfully, issues did decide up a bit over the summer season and inventories had been being restocked in order that we didn’t must assume a lot concerning the logistics pile-up. I hadn’t thought a lot about it the final couple of months as a result of most corporations had inventory to promote from.
That was till I used to be in Southern California final week visiting my retailer in Cerritos. I spent a while with my son in Huntington Seashore having fun with the Pacific Ocean. I couldn’t assist however instantly discover the site visitors jam of freightliners sitting off the coast of Huntington Seashore. The road up prolonged for miles northward towards Lengthy Seashore. It was superb to see this lengthy line of freighters sitting idly on the horizon. I took some footage of the site visitors and you’ll see the video under.
I additionally got here throughout an article within the Wall Road Journal that elaborates extra on the Port of Lengthy Seashore ocean site visitors jam.
UPDATE 9/27/21: I simply learn this text in The Guardian with extra up-to-date data on the cargo ship logjam:
A report variety of cargo ships are caught outdoors LA. What’s taking place?
Port complicated of Los Angeles and Lengthy Seashore, already the busiest within the US, has seen main site visitors this week as imports increase
Learn in The Guardian: https://apple.information/
Sadly, I don’t see it getting any higher earlier than the tip of the yr. As soon as Black Friday hits, gross sales demand will enhance exponentially, which can lead to additional product again orders and port delays. Fairly a yr it’s been, eh? Hold in there! Consultants predict some semblance of normalcy coming again in 2022.
Dr. Alan Weidner