On Wednesday, Joe Biden issued a stern warning to private companies, alleging that the organizations have not taken sufficient measures for alleviating highly clogged ship traffic and port delays, which have impacted the nation’s supply chain systems.
During a speech, Biden demanded for “major retailers who ordered the goods … to step up,” adding that “the freight movers who take the goods from the ships to factories [need] to step up as well.”
The delays emerge as numerous container ships must wait for multiple weeks to offload their cargo. The delays have emerged as a result of traffic, as well as widespread worker and trucking shortages.
Recently, Biden declared that the port in Los Angeles had agreed to shift to a 24/7 schedule for its unloading operations. This new schedule may help increase offloading capacities.
However, as observed by the Wall Street Journal, similar efforts at the port in Long Beach did not ultimately attract more truckers, who are needed to continue shipping the goods.
Furthermore, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union also has strict requirements regarding overtime pay for all work performed outside of normal business hours.
Biden has also warned that there is only a “potential” likelihood of his plan becoming successful before proceeding to take aim at private companies. Biden insisted that the private sector is ultimately responsible for taking advantage of extra hours and subsequently paying railcar companies and truckers to move the goods out of the docks and into shipment.
“If the private sector doesn’t step up, we’re going to call them out and ask them to act,” Biden brayed.
Biden also met with representatives from Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Target, and he announced that the organizations had indicated a commitment to using additional hours for offloading their products.
The ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles handle approximately 40 percent of the cargo that enters the United States.
Biden also railed against private corporations for their lean, efficient supply chain systems, and he claimed that the “lean efficient supply chains” were insufficiently prepared to handle serious disruptions brought about by the COVID pandemic.
“The world has changed,” Biden lectured.
In spite of his criticism of private companies, Biden offered high praise for John Pocari, his “ports envoy” for presumably solving issues at the port, despite massive delays at the ports continuing.
“He’s done one heck of a job,” Biden declared.
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