Crisis at Sea: Container Ships disrupt Supply Chains Across America

Retailers around the world may no longer ignore the global container ship and supply chain disruption. In a recent article, Esquire magazine cites an “ongoing traffic jam of huge ships off the California coast.” The article estimates hundreds of miles of ships are stranded at sea, as a result of the massive oil spill. Investigators and the Coast Guard believe the spill was the result of an underwater pipeline rupture from a ship’s anchor.

Meanwhile, in Savannah, home to the fourth largest port in America, yards overflow with an estimated 80,000 containers. That’s up 50% according to The New York Times which reports Savannah officials “reluctantly forced ships to wait at sea for more than nine days.” More than twenty ships are stuck in the queue, anchored seventeen miles off the coast in the Atlantic.

Port Bottlenecks Strand Shipping Containers at Sea

The Wall Street Journal is following the shipping container crisis, “Port delays, Covid-19 outbreaks and worker shortages have snarled the flow of products between Asia and North America.” Those ships are “threatening the supplies of everything from holiday decorations and toys to appliances and furniture.”

The Great Supply Chain Disruption

Moreover, one cannot underestimate the effect shipping containers have on the global economy. “Today, an estimated 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea.” Additionally, sixty percent includes the majority of imported fruits, gadgets and appliances. All of this, according to the academically focused blog, The Conversation.

Finally, our blog provides many helpful articles about supply chain and fulfillment services concerns.

For questions about how to protect your supply chain in a crisis or if you need consultation about e-commerce fulfillment services contact My FulFillment Company.