As demand for imported goods rises in North America, warehouse stock starts to dwindle for many distributors. In recent months, freight delays have become “the norm,” and they’re only getting worse. 

The global supply chain disruption caused by the closure of multiple Chinese ports intensified already existing logistical challenges, and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California are struggling to process containers at high speeds. 

On August 26th, the two busiest ports in America were facing 39 idle container ships within sight of the ports, close to an all-time record high of 40. The number is expected to increase in the upcoming days, as ships wait to anchor and load off their containers. 

But the two ports are by no means the only ones struggling with a queue of ships. With 15 ships waiting to enter, the Port of Savannah in Georgia is also experiencing extended delays. 

This recent surge in demand has come well ahead of Black Friday and the winter holidays, but it does not bode well for the approaching holiday peaks. Experts at Hapag-Lloyd have stated that as the year comes to an end, “port terminals remain and are expected to continue being extremely congested.” 

From consistent equipment shortages to increasing demand for goods from Asia, prolonged backlogs are becoming more and more common. With that, consumers have been advised to complete their Christmas shopping in advance, as it is better to be safe than sorry.