This article was written by Mac Slavo and originally published at SHTFplan.com
This does not seem to be a problem just in the United States, but all over the globe. A top Chinese port is now slammed with its worst traffic jam since August, sparking fears that the supply shortage has only just begun.
Worldwide, shortages on everything from food to garden supplies, to toiletries are being reported. The U.S. still has shipping containers stuck off the California coast waiting to be unloaded, while a top port in China is also historically backlogged. Is this all an “accident” or a “coincidence” that this is happening all at once? You decide.
According to a report by ZeroHedge, the number of container ships at anchor or drifting at one of the busiest ports in China has jumped to the highest level since August, indicating supply chain disruptions will continue into the holiday season. Right now is the critical period where US importers build inventory for Christmas shopping. If they fail to do so, expect shortages of popular consumer goods.
Some large retailers have resorted to chartering their own ships in order to get supplies on shelves.
Fust weeks ago, the number of container ships at anchor in San Pedro Bay off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reached a record high of 73 vessels. Bottlenecks at container ports worldwide continue to snarl supply chains as vessels experience longer wait times to berth.
As ZeroHedge noted, there is good news, and we were one of the first to observe what appears to be a peak in shipping rates in early October, noting that there was a “glimmer of hope” for global snarled supply chains, even if the rebound will likely prove to be far more painful.
According to a separate report by Yahoo News, shipping containers are piled high in Port Savannah. Nearly 80,000 shipping containers are stacked up on the docks.
These shortages still appear to be growing and with no end in sight, perhaps we should all consider getting any last-minute items we can. Do not wait to get that holiday turkey or the perfect Christmas gift if you see it. This year may prove to be a difficult holiday season.
We should all be aware of this and make appropriate changes to our preparedness plans. Learning to go without or planning ahead could make all the difference this season.
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Does anyone have actual information on the factual details of the “supply chain” disruptions?
Staffing shortages at the ports?
Significantly more ships/containers than normal?
Exaggerated narrative based on loosely tying inflation to supply and demand issues?
I haven’t seen a great inclusive article on this topic that looks at the broad range of information regarding the “supply shortages.”
I did read an article on an alternative website, can’t remember which one though in which it said that the Union Dockworkers are refusing to work three shifts…..no reason given why. The article states that as of now, the Dockworkers are only working the day shift. A dockworker was interviewed and he said there is an ongoing problem that as the containers stack up on the dock, they cannot get the tractor trailers in there, there isn’t enough space to even back up a trailer to get the container on it.
https://wolfstreet.com/2021/10/16/not-getting-better-relentless-retail-inventory-squeeze-amid-shortages-supply-chain-chaos/
I heard the shortage is mainly due to lack of jabbed truck drivers and workers.
Our President has said no vax, no cross state lines and/or enter the Port areas, or something to that effect.
How true that is, I don’t know. But, that is the interpretation of the US Port backups that I read. And it does make some sense. Of course, if true, certain political figures may not want to give a “real” explanation why business is falling apart; since the reason is them.
I would guess this could be effecting container use worldwide eventually, since US Ports have more container traffic than anywhere else in for incoming shipments. If ships are sitting loaded and idle in the US shores, other Ports of call can’t use them. Thus, shortage.
The timing of these Port back ups coincides with a certain mandates for companies with over 100 employees regarding “health and safety” requirements.
Kinda like the Kyrie Irving situation.
It appears that ports outside of NY and CA are open for business. DeSantis has offered Florida’s 15 ports as a unloading place for those ships.
Here in Italy, port workers in Trieste, Genoa, Livorno, Gioia Tauro, etc. have called for an all-out strike against the imposition of the green pass for all workers as of October 15. I ask Brandon if we are doing the right thing? Thank you.
Yes. It’s the best way for people to fight back right now in Europe and in Australia. For the long run though, you guys are going to need to organize with small businesses willing to defy the mandates and also set up barter markets to bypass the passports. This is a war, and you need to be ready to fight and survive the next ten battles, not just the first. Frankly, if you had the support I would be storming the halls of government, but convincing people to do this in a permanent way might be difficult, at least until the situation hits closer to rock bottom.
What we’re witnessing now, the gradual unravelling of the hyper-complex Global Logistics system is eerily similar to what David Koslowski described in his paper, “Tradeoff.pdf” which can be found online via simple Google search. The premise of Kislowski’s paper was a disconnection of the payment services from the shipping carriers…but the conclusion remains wholly valid in what we are currently experiencing.
Now, here, we are seeing an ever increasing inability of the supply side to adequately physically process and transfer goods from one place to another…which is principally similar to the conjecture Kosklowski made in his paper, ie, that anything which served to interrupt the JIT (Just in Time) logistics system (he considered the coupling to the financial/payment sphere) would rapidly become something whose magnitude of effect would lead to “Irreperable harm” to any economy so affected.
We are seeing such unfolding before our very eyes right now; both sides of the Pacific are currently congested to the point of gridlock and though we may some easing of that over the next few weeks the destructive effects will – I believe – continue to grow far beyond anyone’s recurrent expectations. Imagine if you will the game many if us pkated as kids…the one where you had a tube filled with balls with sticks protruding through it preventung the balls from falling. One at a time, those sticks are pulled by the players and perhaps a ball or two along the way falls, yes? However, at some point a single stick is pulled and abruptly ALL the remaining balls cascade to the bottom; End of Game.
Whether we are approaching such a point now is above my pay grade, but daily things seemingly are becoming more frail, more stressed and consequently less resilient. At some point that tandem will collapse just as the analogy I used above. Get it NOW, whatever you NEED, do NOT procrastinate. It might well be the case that at a later point little of nothing you need will be obtainable.
Good Luck all.
JOG
This was an experience I hadI at Lowe’s this week. Shopping for spring gardening supplies fertilizer. Couldn’t find my go to product. Ask the manager about it. He said, “This is all we are going to have until Feb. Christmas supplies too, get what we have now.” Then he said, “everything is in a tanker down in dock at Long-beach. It’s where one of the tankers anchor cause an oil leak.” This was my experience.