With more containerships arriving daily, the backlog at the Southern California ports has grown to record levels. For the first time in seventeen years, ships are being held in drift positions outside the anchorage in San Pedro Bay with predictions that the congestion will continue at these levels at least until mid-to-late February.

The Marine Exchange of Southern California, a ninety-plus-year-old, non-profit organization that oversees the flow of maritime commerce throughout the region, reported on Wednesday, January 27, that the San Pedro Bay port complex had set a new record with 55 ships at anchor. That topped the previous high by three vessels, but the record would only last for hours. Five additional ships entered the anchorage on January 28, raising the record to 60 vessels.

 

Source: maritime-executive