US ship congestion nears February record

The US’s largest trade channel with Asia is congested with the largest number of container ships in more than six months, threatening to further delay freight transport, reduce margins for US importers, and raise prices for consumers.

On the night of August 15, 37 ships were waiting to dock at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., the highest number since early February, according to authorities monitoring maritime traffic in San Pedro Bay. The number is almost double the queue in mid-July and close to the record 40 ships waiting to dock on February 1st.

The average wait for docking space is 6.2 days, compared with 5.7 at the end of June, according to data from the Port of Los Angeles. That number peaked at approximately 8 days in April.

Transpacific trade routes have been affected in recent days by the partial closure of a major port in China because of outbreaks of Covid-19 among officials. This has helped to reduce the already-tight container transport capacity worldwide and is keeping ocean freight rates close to record levels.

Source: Valor Econômico

To read the full original article, visit the link:

https://valor.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2021/08/16/congestionamento-de-navios-nos-eua-perto-do-recorde-de-fevereiro.ghtml

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