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Biden announced an extension of work in the Los Angeles port to prevent the supply crisis
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the Los Angeles port would switch to 24-hour work mode to unload congestion in the global supply chain. The crisis threatens with shortages during the Christmas season. According to the President, the current situation indicates the need for infrastructure reconstruction and policy change based on cooperation with China.
Biden announced his decision on Wednesday after meeting with transport industry representatives, including the heads of the two largest US ports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. As the President stressed, although 40% of all containers reaching the US pass through these two locations, until recently, contrary to the world's trends, they worked from Monday to Friday. As a result, the number of working hours in the Los Angeles port is expected to increase almost twice.
"This change has the potential to be a breakthrough. Potential because these unloaded goods won't transport themselves. Salesmen and transport companies must also step up their efforts," the President stated. At the same time, he announced that the largest Walmart supermarket network in the USA had decided to switch to 24-hour transport, and the increase in the intensity of night deliveries was announced by UPS, FedEx, Samsung and Target and Home Depot stores. Biden threatened that if other companies did not follow this path, he would publicly point to them.
The President's speech is a reaction to the congestion in the supply of goods to the US, as a result of which both California ports await unloading vessels 500,000 containers.
Biden admitted that the current congestion in the supply chain, caused, among others, by the Covid-19 pandemic, increased demand and lack of hands to work, showed the fragility of these chains and the need to increase their resilience.
"We need to take a longer perspective. We need to build greater resilience so that these chains can cope with the disturbances caused by pandemics, climate change and cyber attacks," the President said. "We can never rely on one company, one country or one person again, especially if they do not share our interests. We must have the ability to produce things in America," he added, making a hint to China.
Biden stressed that this was to be served, among others, by a package of over a trillion dollars worth of multi-annual investment in infrastructure, which is waiting for a vote in Congress.
Although the announced changes are intended to improve the situation, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said she could not guarantee that there would be no disruption of deliveries and empty shelves during the Christmas season. However, she promised that the federal authorities would do anything to solve the current crisis.
Written by Oskar Górzyński/PAP
