IF the situation gets to no worse, clearing the container
backlog will take two months, according to the Port of Oakland estimates.
As San Francisco's major port facility, Oakland has
between 10 and 12 ships a day waiting to berth, with Maersk and
Mediterranean Shipping Co now omitting calls rather than exacerbate disruption
to service schedules.
In a detailed list of questions and answers, Oakland has
sought to explain to all those caught up in the gridlock in one way or another
what has brought Pacific coasts to this crisis point, reports Lloyd's Loading
List.
While factors such as a shortage of truck drivers,
available chassis to take the containers away have contributed to the problem,
most blame the slowdown on the increasingly acrimonious contract talks between
the waterfront bosses and the dockers union.
Meanwhile, small business owners are unable to get goods
on the shelf in time for long-planned merchandising programmes. Some are paying
high premiums for work-arounds such as air freight.
Manufacturers are at risk of closing down assembly lines
because they don't receive parts shipments. Farmers can't get perishable out
quickly enough to make delivery dates to overseas markets.
Source : HKSG.
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