Congested Ports, Us small Businesses: Pick up your own in China!

  Congestion at U.S. ports continues unabated as the backlog of goods weighs heavily on inventories at U.S. retailers. To secure supplies, some small American companies are having to find new ways. According to NBC news on November 18, a number of small US businesses have decided to pick up their goods directly in China to avoid supply delays caused by congested ports.

Screenshot from NBC report

According to NBC, the practice is not unique, and a growing number of small US businesses are using similar methods to avoid the SUPPLY chain crisis in the US.  Supply chain problems remain tight in the United States, largely because congestion at ports, a key link, has not improved significantly. Even if companies are able to pick up goods and afford to ship them to the United States, they are still sitting back at U.S. ports, NBC said. Cargo ships queue up at ports to be unloaded, and the containers slowly pass through ports to be transported.

Cargo ships line up to be unloaded outside the port of Los Angeles in October