Posted on 10/21/2021 12:58:14 PM PDT by DFG
A Florida port authority is inviting steamships waiting to dock in California to divert via the Panama Canal to the sunshine state, where there are no backlogs.
The Jacksonville Port Authority said it’s the solution to an unprecedented logjam at The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where weeks-long queues are slowing commerce ahead of the year’s busiest shopping season.
It’s a sharp contrast from the scene in Jacksonville, which officials said has maintained terminal fluidity – and set a new container volume record - despite market disruptions.
Florida ports council president Michael Rubin said they can expedite cargo ship movement by rerouting container ships via the Panama Canal, a seven-day journey from Southern California to Northern Florida.
‘We have the opportunity to provide those shipping lines and beneficial cargo owners a more efficient route that can get their product not only to the third-largest domestic market in the country but also to other markets outside of Florida, within two days,’ Rubin told ABC Action News.
‘We realize how important it is to get those goods to market, to not be the grinch that stole Christmas.’
The Jacksonville port set a new container volume record in May, when it moved nearly 129,000 twenty-foot equivalent units through its terminals.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I’d love to see an ariel picture of a line of container ships making their way to Florida.
“Now they have an invitation to go around to the back and enter there. How could Buttigieg be against that?”
Good one!!
Good PR stunt but will never happen. Double the distance travelled, double the fuel cost, double the cost of the crew, the ship itself is less productive since it is at sea twice as long per round-trip, and then delays and costs sending empty ships back to Asia. And then, how to get the containers from Florida to their destinations out west?
There is, or at least was, a major shortage of containers in Asia. IIRC we import 5 containers of stuff for every one we ship full back to Asia. This forces shippers to carry empty containers back and someone has to pay the cost. That is in part why it now costs $14k to bring a container across the Pacific and almost double if you want to bring it to the east coast when in 2019 it cost around $2500.
They could send them to Oakland, California. They don’t for many logistical reasons.
What are they going to do about it?????
I think there is an upper limit to the size of the ships Florida ports can handle, but yeah, this is a great idea. Savannah can handle the largest container ships.
I would think that would be up to the shipper and the port...
FYI they aren’t backed up but any ship that unloads in Miami will have five and a half to six hours minimum just to get trucked out of Florida.
Savannah isn’t backed up either. It’s still a cheaper port than Charleston. Local Charleston companies have used Savannah for the longest time because of that.
I think this is a play by Florida for a longer term solution, California ports are going to be chronic problem with the State’s environmental laws on trucks and laws governing contract truckers or sole proprietors....
Jacksonville has somewhat of a unique location, 2 major interstate highways pass right near the port....I-10 west bound and I-95 Northbound, and I-75 is maybe 60 miles away via I-10....so it can get trucks on the road to nearly anywhere in short order...
The City for years has been trying to lure air cargo carriers to setup operations in Jacksonville, Cecil Field is a former Marine Corp Jet base, it has a huge runway, with train tracks thru the property and I-10 and I-95 minutes away.....
Jacksonville could be come a major port of entry going forward....
Sure, for those for whom Christmas depends on a bunch of cheap crap from China.
Good point
Norfolk Southern and CSX also have major connections.
Almost all overseas shipment have preclearance customs documents prepared in advance for a specific port of entry. It is for "national security", don't you know?
Realtime marine shipping updates.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-86.9/centery:36.3/zoom:5
If they are unloading to locations in Florida, Florida East Coast Rail, starts in Jacksonville and runs the length of Florida....
So Jacksonville has some really unique advantages for container shipping
Nice map, but must be fro CNN. I say so because JAX is in the far northeast of FL, not near Tampa as depicted ;-)
Murphy’s Law of Lines:
The other line always moves faster.
If you leave the line you’re currently in for the other (faster) line, the line you just left will move faster than the one you just joined.
All very good points, but would the going rate of 25k-35k charter fee per day to sit at anchor for an indeterminate amount of time make it worth it to divert?
Unfortunately a lot of the cargo on those ships is destined for the West Coast.
Are these ships loaded with crap from China? Let them rust and sink. When are we going to get serious about boycotting cheap sh!t from our enemy???
This year for Christmas say NO to China! We don’t need their cheap plastic under our trees!
Please!!! I use cardboard boxes for laundry baskets. I don’t have slippers. I buy things I need second hand.
We can have our own Reset.
“Made in the USA” doesn’t get stuck in ports.
Have some self respect. Stop clamoring for our enemy to unload their goods.
Tell them to sail it back to China.
better than sitting on the ocean for weeks
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