Federal Officials Tackle Congestion at Ports
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A group of federal transportation representatives held a roundtable discussion with local leaders and supply chain executives July 15 to discuss congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was joined at the virtual roundtable by a slew of officials, including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi, DOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are major gateways for international freight. According to DOT, about 40% of all containerized freight moving through the U.S. arrives or departs through these ports.
“For the past year, those who work at our ports, including our longshore workers, terminal operators and truckers, have stepped up to keep freight moving and our economy running,” Buttigieg said. “For our economy to fully recover, we now need our vital supply chains to operate smoothly and without avoidable congestion.”
Secretary Kim met with @SecretaryPete, @MayorOfLA, @LongBeachMayor & leaders from @USDOT, @PortofLA & @portoflongbeach in a virtual roundtable today as part of the ongoing dialogue to tackle port congestion & supply chain disruption issues. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ajOBfRf38x — CalSTA (@CA_Trans_Agency) July 15, 2021
During the event, port representatives spoke about responding to the surge in demand that has occurred over the past few months. Shippers also raised concerns about the assessment of fees tied to detention and demurrage.
Also at the event, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency David Kim announced the department would be organizing a forum to examine options to improve cargo movement at and around the ports in late September.
The roundtable was held as part of the administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, which is meant to provide a federal response to supply chain challenges as the country recovers economically from the pandemic.
The session took place amid Buttigieg’s tour of western states to discuss transportation infrastructure. He delivered remarks in Phoenix on July 15 and met with Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, in Eugene, Ore., on July 14.
On July 8, Buttigieg, Joshi and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh met with trucking industry representatives to discuss driver retention and supply chain issues.
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