Politics & Government
Backlogged Cargo Ships Appear Off The Coast Of Malibu
Cargo ships are floating in the Santa Monica Bay, north of the LA and Long Beach ports. A major backlog is causing a bottleneck.
MALIBU, CA — If you look out across the ocean, just near the horizon, you might notice something unusual: multiple cargo ships are now lining the Santa Monica Bay, just off the coast of Malibu.
It's estimated that 100 ships are floating off the coast of Southern California, waiting to enter the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. The backlog of cargo ships has created a bottleneck and led to a major supply chain crisis nationwide.
Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday issued an executive order to help unclog the ports as the government moves to address the supply chain problem ahead of the holidays.
Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.
President Joe Biden last week directed the port to operate for 24 hours, seven days each week. The move is part of a push from the White House to clear supply chain disruptions threatening the holiday shopping season and slowing the nation's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Guard could also be deployed to help speed up the process, CBS reports.
Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.
For some, the process to deliver the cargo has lasted weeks. Some crew members have been waiting for a month to get off the cargo ships, ABC reports.
About 40 percent of shipping containers entering the U.S. come through the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports.
Despite the backlog, the Port of Los Angeles announced its finalized cargo numbers for September, with over 903,865 20-foot equivalent units moved, making it the busiest September in the port's 114-year history.
"Despite the global supply chain challenges, the Port of Los Angeles and its partners continue to deliver record amounts of cargo," said Gene Seroka, the port's executive director. "This is made possible by the extraordinary effort of our longshore workers, truck drivers, terminal operators and so many others on the waterfront and in our region's warehouses. I'm grateful to all of them."
Patch reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard for more information about the cargo ships in the Santa Monica Bay.
- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.
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