In any other year, expectations of strong sales for the upcoming holiday shopping season would be the fulfillment of a dream for retailers. Instead, it’s shaping up to be something of a nightmare.
The number of container ships waiting to enter the biggest U.S. gateway for trade with Asia reached an all-time high of 65 vessels late last week, carrying potential payloads of cargo boxes that would stretch halfway across the country if lined up end to end.
The U.K. delayed new post-Brexit border checks on food from the European Union to mitigate a supply chain crisis in a move that was immediately criticized as handing the bloc’s producers a competitive advantage.
Shanghai has halted some container port operations and will cancel most flights Monday and Tuesday as Typhoon Chanthu approaches the city, which is China’s financial capital and a major shipping hub.
Somewhere in the world’s busiest port of Shanghai, a container of fertilizer sits among tens of thousands of boxes, waiting for a ride to the U.S. It’s been on the dock for months, trapped by typhoons and Covid outbreaks that have worsened major congestion in the global supply-chain network.
The number of ships waiting to enter the biggest U.S. gateway for trade with Asia reached the highest since the pandemic began, exacerbating delays for companies trying to replenish inventories during one of the busiest times of the year for seaborne freight.
A supply chain crunch that was meant to be temporary now looks like it will last well into next year as the surging delta variant upends factory production in Asia and disrupts shipping, posing more shocks to the world economy.
John Martin, president of Martin Associates, explains the factors behind persistent cargo congestion at West Coast ports, and the “cumulative collapse” of the nation’s entire logistics supply chain.
The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding global seaports and airports and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are transporting and delivering goods to more international customers than ever before through global ports and free and foreign trade zones. As infrastructure around these global gateways continues to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are improving supply chain operations through their strategic use of global seaports and airports.
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