Backlog of containerships outside ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach disappears

Number of ships at anchor has dropped from 28 on March 14 to one or none.

   The backlog of containerships waiting at anchor outside the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for a berth has all but disappeared.
   “This morning it has been fluctuating between zero and one containerships,” said Jon Slangerup, the chief executive officer of the Port of Long Beach said Wednesday morning at the port’s annual peak season forecast event.
   “Ships are now coming in and moving immediately to berth, which is a tremendous improvement in just a few weeks.”
   Yesterday and today at 7 a.m. there was just one containership at anchor at 7 a.m. waiting for a berth, said Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California.
   “We dipped to zero container ships at anchor awaiting berth mid-day yesterday, and since Sunday, the longest a container ship has been at anchor awaiting berth is only a day or two,” said Louttit.
   Slangerup said the backlog of containerships, which peaked at 28 on March 14, was reduced “much faster than anticipated.”