Splash has identified 41 containerships at or near to the San Pedro anchorage awaiting a berth today in a peak season like none other in the 65-year history of containerisation. When the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach were locked out for 10 days and eight days in 20 respectively, ship queues never exceeded 30 vessels, and yet the the port lockdowns caused significant economic chaos.
The extraordinary congestion seen at America’s main two west coast ports is far worse than the port lockout days of 20. The number of ships at anchor, waiting for berth space to open up at America’s two largest boxports has hit a new record today with more than 40 ships now forming queues further and further away from the terminals at Los Angeles and Long Beach.
