Inside America’s Broken Supply Chain

The Washington Post (10/02/2021)
  • Covid lockdowns sparking an avalanche of online shopping has overwhelmed shipping channels and ports.
  • Container ships now routinely wait 2-3 weeks offshore before being able to dock.
  • The spike in demand has inflated the cost of shipping a standard rectangular container from China to California to a record $20,586 (4x higher than January 2021).
  • Cargo shippers have become more choosy, avoiding heavier products that increase fuel costs.
  • The 7 largest ocean carriers reported $23 billion in 1st half 2021 profits, 23x higher than 1H2020.