Skip to content

Subscriber Only

Economics

Boatloads of Cargo Off Los Angeles Grind Gears of World Economy

Record imports are clogging America’s main trade gateways
In the U.S., federal regulators are probing port congestion

Cargo ships anchored in the Pacific Ocean off the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles on Nov. 20. — Cargo ships anchored in the Pacific Ocean off the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles on Nov. 20.
Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg

By

November 22, 2020, 9:01 AM UTC

Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks Covid-19’s impact on trade. Sign up here, and subscribe to our Covid-19 podcast for the latest news and analysis on the pandemic.

A flotilla of almost a dozen cargo vessels sits anchored just south of Los Angeles this weekend, waiting for berth space. Around the twin ports of L.A. and Long Beach, shipping containers are already stacked five and six high -- the maximum the fire department will allow.