California agricultural exporters say they have yet to see any relief, despite mounting calls for federal maritime regulators to address congestion at US ports. Since last fall, the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association has seen a surge in cargo volumes that has kept shipping containers longer at California ports. With a reduced port workforce due to the pandemic and related slowdowns, exporters say bottlenecks have held up California agricultural shipments.
As unloading and reloading ships takes much longer and export companies in Asia urgently need containers to ship more goods to the US, shipping lines have reportedly been leaving US ports more often without refilling empty containers with American products. This includes declining to take agricultural exports.
Agalert.com reports that some exporters say they've heard port slowdowns may ease by mid-April or May. Others said delays might last until June or July.
According to Charlie Devers, a sales representative for Porterville Citrus in Terra Bella, he's been dealing with ‘a logistical nightmare’ since the start of the citrus export season in late November. He said congestion at the Port of Long Beach is so bad that there have been times when more than 60 vessels sat idle in the ocean, waiting to anchor.
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