An usually high number of container ships are dotting the Long Beach coastline—sometimes waiting up to five days to dock—due to a perfect storm of record cargo numbers, the coming Chinese New Year and limited capacity at warehouses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Friday. Despite a slowdown at the beginning of 2020 as the pandemic hit, the Port of Long Beach last year saw its busiest year on record, moving more than 8.1 million cargo container units, up 6.3% from 2019.
There was a ton of military age Chinese males in Idaho Falls last week. There was at least a 40 foot container full worth in Costco at one time one evening last week. They were all walking around in separate groups of 2-6. All speaking Mandarin and none of them had a cart.
Lack of space and labor to get them all unloaded are contributing factors.
34 ships - give or take in San Pedro bay.
Demand is very high. Think of it like spot price for gold/silver - high demand, limited capacity = high price. Right now spot price on China-West coast is $4348 a container, up from even Q4 of 2020 (Christmas rush) and 173% higher than a year ago. China-East Coast is $5924, again up from Q4 and 100% higher than a year ago at this time.
Lots of US demand for goods - happens to originate in China and we don't have the infrastructure and labor (host of reasons) to get them turned as quickly as the past. Also - little to no cancellation of sailings for Chinese Lunar New Year - usually there's a 3-5 week lull in in Feb to allow things to catch up - not happening this year. Demand from US consumer is too high.
US Domestic freight volume is up 20% year over year - it's across the board right now. Even with the huge spike in demand and freight - it just filled in the hole created at the start of 2020 with lockdowns and cooling economy. Imports ended up just 1.5% y/y but sales, as of November were up 4.1% - there's a ton of retail restocking going on right now.
There was a ton of military age Chinese males in Idaho Falls last week. There was at least a 40 foot container full worth in Costco at one time one evening last week. They were all walking around in separate groups of 2-6. All speaking Mandarin and none of them had a cart.
Bb
I wonder if they're there to drive the tanks that I saw a video of yesterday from Caldwell, Idaho (as narrated from the guy that was recording the video). A full freight train, each car carrying 2 tanks, going down the tracks.
It's all in good fun until the chinks pop out of the shipping containers like strippers out of a birthday cake and yell, "surprise m o ther fu c kers!" in Mandarin or whatnot. Then it's off to the ovens for anybody that don't kneel to China Joe and his ho.
