You could call this the perfect storm but I’m sure major retailers and importers from Asia would have other choice words to describe the current situation in the container sector. The supply chain is currently experiencing severe disruptions.

Jim McKenna, president of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), reported that the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have seen the highest number of COVID cases among U.S. West Coast ports and that thirteen longshore workers have so far died.

Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan Describes Exceptional 2020 In State of the Port Address

Officials at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to give priority to vaccinating longshore workers against the COVID virus so as to relieve congestion and delays at the two ports caused in part by a shortage of longshore workers who have been infected.

While this could just be a case of early teething problems, logistics specialists and trade analysts fear it’s more likely a portent of the difficulties to come moving cargo to and from Britain.

Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles reported that the Port moved 9.2 million twenty-foot containers (TEUs) in 2020

Ed Denike, president SSA Containers, said that ocean carriers tell him that vessel congestion at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is likely to continue until March.

On 4 January Iran detained the South Korean chemical tanker Hankuk Chemi for allegedly ‘repeatedly’ violating its environmental regulations and polluting its waters.

Cees van Pelt, manager technical operations, Rotterdam Shortsea Terminals (RST) warned that post-Brexit maritime commerce between the UK and Europe is likely to face congestion and delays during the first half of 2021 resulting, at least temporarily, in more Trans-Channel freight being transported by container ships as opposed to rail and Ro/Ro (Roll On/Roll Off ships).

Jennifer Carpenter, president of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) told AJOT in an interview that despite the Covid crisis, the industry benefited from a number of successes in the outgoing 116th Congress: