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Photo: Shipping containers at port in Tianjin China last month / WSJ
Lots of articles and photos re the enormous backlog in ports here and abroad. Today’s WSJ reports that big retailers who can afford it (ie Walmart / Costco / Home Depot) are chartering their own much smaller ships able to dock at smaller out of the way U.S. ports in remote parts of California and elsewhere to help avoid having bare shelves at Christmas time.
I recently read a very informative article from the Washington Post regarding supply chain issues. U.S. ports and railroad yards have huge backlogs with many containers awaiting delivery. Shipping costs have greatly increased. Our physical infrastructure needs to be updated. Comprehensive information sharing systems are lacking. This is quite a mess! It may be prudent to reevaluate just-in-time inventories and offshoring.
For sure it is a mess. Also there is a shortage of experienced truck drivers. So the cargoships and containers just sit at the docks. The consumers are so used to have everything readily available in the stores and not appreciate the complexity of supply chain.
Comments
U.S. ports and railroad yards have huge backlogs with many containers awaiting delivery.
Shipping costs have greatly increased.
Our physical infrastructure needs to be updated.
Comprehensive information sharing systems are lacking.
This is quite a mess!
It may be prudent to reevaluate just-in-time inventories and offshoring.
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