Apparently some ships are departing for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach without notifying US Customs of their estimated arrival. They’re required to do so, but don’t know about the rule. The reason is that many newly chartered ships are sailing, chartered by firms who do not ordinarily manage shipping, or are being handled by forwarders who are new to the practice. They appear to be unaware of the requirements.
When the ship fails to notify the port at departure, and just ‘drops in’, there is no place in the schedule to unload it. The ship must wait offshore. The Maritime Exchange says that essentially all positions for waiting ships off LA and Long Beach are full; drop-ins must steam around until their place in the queue can be found. The waits can be upward of a month.
This operational gap is just one of the reasons for the supply chain logjam. If it’s happening at LA and Long Beach, you can bet it’s happening at other West Coast ports.
We know that queues to unload are lengthening at all the West Coast Ports. Tacoma announced detention surcharges for containers not moved from their yard on time, following the lead of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The other ports are seizing up because of diversions to them from the usual LA and Long Beach stops, especially by chartered vessels, which can choose any route; they do not have fixed routes like the linear alliances.
People have to start addressing the issues that seem small regarding maritime supply chains. Only an across-the-board effort will get things unsnarled soon.
Lori Ann LaRocco Monday, November 8, 2021
Ports suffering from communications gap with US Customs – FreightWaves
Kim Biggar November 9, 2021
Tacoma clamps down on long-stay containers with new charge – Splash247
Supply Chain and Logistics 