California Governor Gavin Newsom and Port Envoy John D. Porcari visited the Port of Long Beach to discuss state and federal measures to address the congestion at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex.
Newsom and Porcari highlighted state and federal measures being implemented to alleviate the current supply chain backlog, plan for future needs and thanked frontline workers for moving record cargo volumes.
During the event, Gov. Newsom presented recent steps by the state to help unclog the supply chain, including higher weight limits on trucked cargo and expanding hours for commercial truck driver license examinations. He also said the recently signed federal infrastructure bill will bring much needed improvements throughout the state’s transportation system.
Furthermore, plans were discussed for ocean carriers to bring in “sweeper” ships to load out empty containers in order to free up more dock space, as well as promises for 24/7 operations, a pledge that has been scrutinized as going underutilized or even unavailable.
The Port of Los Angeles also drew attention to the number of empty export containers, which need to be repositioned back to Asia, tha thas risen to some 65,000 in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the number of containerships awaiting outside the ports, both at physical anchor and in “loitering” areas, hit an all-time record of 86, although the numbers have now fallen to 80.
Major changes in consumer habits driven by a global pandemic have led to all-time record high volumes of containers moving through Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Thanks to the collective work of California and our partners, we have seen a 32% drop in containers sitting on the docks
said Governor Newsom.
For his part, Port Envoy Porcari explained that the $17 billion allocated for ports and waterways in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the President’s Port Action Plan, “will go a long way towards ensuring goods flow through ports like Long Beach and Los Angeles efficiently.”
The fact that we had the U.S. port envoy and the governor here to discuss the solutions to the supply chain crisis is significant. “I’m excited about the conversation and the progress we are making. This is the largest port complex in the nation and we have the full attention of our state and federal partners
said Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach Executive Director.
