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Why the West Coast port slowdowns are cracks in the foundation of the U.S. economy
Puget Sound Business Journal ^ | Feb 12, 2015 | Sarah Aitchison

Posted on 02/12/2015 10:23:22 AM PST by george76

One of the big reasons for the slowdown at the 29 West Coast ports isn't on the tip of everyone's tongues, including elected officials, is because the public doesn't see it, he said.

It's like cracks in the foundation of a house: virtually invisible but still very dangerous for the structural integrity of the house.

(Excerpt) Read more at bizjournals.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Oregon; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: economy; ports; westcoast; westcoastports
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1 posted on 02/12/2015 10:23:22 AM PST by george76
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To: george76

2 posted on 02/12/2015 10:26:26 AM PST by Rodamala
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To: george76

Teamsters, you rock. Oh, wait. No you don’t. Some carrier from the Orient has said they are DONE with portland, oregon due to slow downs and sometimes no activity at all when trying to offload or onload and will no longer be using portland for any of their business. So, how cost effective is it to do the Panama Canal transit and go to the Gulf Coast or even the east coast ports?


3 posted on 02/12/2015 10:30:14 AM PST by rktman (Served in the Navy to protect the rights of those that want to take some of mine away. Odd, eh?)
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To: george76
Oh noes, if this isn't settled in the next few weeks, we might actually have to wait until OCTOBER for stores to start filling with Christmas merchandise!

Overpaid dock workers, not even bothering to do the job they have today, want to get more money to probably not do the job they have tomorrow. Average pay with benefits tops $150,000 a year for each of the primadonnas.

4 posted on 02/12/2015 10:32:44 AM PST by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: george76

Fire the commie slugs!


5 posted on 02/12/2015 10:35:48 AM PST by Beagle8U (NOTICE : Unattended children will be given Coffee and a Free Puppy.)
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To: george76

The Longshoremen, being a large, well-funded and politically active union know that Obama and his crew will have their back, no matter how much chaos they create in the US economy.


6 posted on 02/12/2015 10:36:15 AM PST by PGR88
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To: rktman

China will save us. A Mexican port to transfer containers via rail to the US is being discussed.

http://www.abqjournal.com/466666/news/rail-plan-could-link-nm-mexican-port.html

Also:

http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/in-mexico-rail-is-on-a-roll/

And:

http://www.kcsmartport.com/pdf/SmtPrtOneRoute.pdf


7 posted on 02/12/2015 10:47:02 AM PST by meatloaf
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To: rktman

A larger Panama Canal transit to the Gulf and East Coasts ... will help.

Apparently, some smaller dry product is being - expensively - flow in and out.


8 posted on 02/12/2015 10:47:44 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: rktman

“Some carrier from the Orient has said they are DONE with portland, oregon due to slow downs and sometimes no activity at all when trying to offload or onload and will no longer be using portland for any of their business.”

I have seen numerous mentions of avoiding West Coast ports in financial statements by companies saying they have found alternative routes for their supplies and merchandise. McDonald’s said it was using all alternatives to get fries to critical overseas markets. It has also been casually alluded to in other business articles. Business in the ports won’t dry up, but it will drop off for a long time.


9 posted on 02/12/2015 10:51:14 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: kingu

Bulky items, like food products, coal, etc. are sitting in rail yards and such ... waiting to be loaded onto out going ships.

Hurts farmers, ranchers, and other working Americans.


10 posted on 02/12/2015 10:51:53 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

Here’s a better link to the whole story w/o clicking through multiple pages

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/morning_call/2015/02/why-thewest-coast-port-slowdowns-are-cracks-in-the.html?ana=e_sea_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-02-12&u=zD+EgqP8coSO1qd+KxwvAwceAPG&t=1423756658&page=all

Unfortunately, this article answers nothing.

Ironically, I just sent an email to someone addressing the lack of attention to the actual causes of the just-announced Hanjin pullout of Port of Portland, which include a combination of lack of chassis, lack of trains and, of course, obamacare & contract negotiations.

I’m still looking for a decent analysis of the whole situation...


11 posted on 02/12/2015 11:12:13 AM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus-)
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To: logi_cal869
The difference is the Mafia took control of the East Coast Docks.

Communist took over the West Coast docks.

One can make a deal with the Mafia not the Communist

12 posted on 02/12/2015 11:33:43 AM PST by scooby321
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To: scooby321
And the Politicians took over the Gulf Coast ports.
13 posted on 02/12/2015 11:38:09 AM PST by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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To: meatloaf

Mexicans, doing the jobs that Americans will not do.


14 posted on 02/12/2015 11:39:46 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: meatloaf

Sigh.


15 posted on 02/12/2015 11:42:36 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
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To: logi_cal869

One likely factor is the new NoCare taxes / fees on the Union Cadillac health insurance plan that the Union members do not want to pay.


16 posted on 02/12/2015 11:57:56 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

In Isaac Asimov’s series “Foundation”, one of his early indications of collapse of the Empire was the failure of goods and energy transport from where it was produced to where it was consumed.

Also the flow was one direction, to prosperous planets and/or cities.
Classic 50’s SciFi with little or no female characters but an interesting view considering the state of our worldwide economy.


17 posted on 02/12/2015 11:59:21 AM PST by Zathras
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To: rktman

a lot of container ships are too big for the Panama Canal aren’t they?


18 posted on 02/12/2015 12:02:09 PM PST by GeronL
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To: GeronL

Work began in 2007 to expand the Panama canal with a third set of locks to enable it to handle the modern mega-freighters that global shipping companies prefer.

Initially scheduled for completion in 2014, the project’s due date has been pushed back to early 2016.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3241125/posts


19 posted on 02/12/2015 12:13:58 PM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

cool


20 posted on 02/12/2015 12:17:05 PM PST by GeronL
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