Chaos at Ports

At ports around the world, big delays are causing supply chain disruptions.

• Hundreds of container ships around the world — carrying consumer goods from fruits to computers — are stuck outside of ports waiting to unload their goods.
• Ships outside the major port city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, for instance, have at times waited nearly a week. Outside of Los Angeles, they’ve at times waited nearly two weeks.
• The are various reasons for the delays — a lack of truckers to take away unloaded goods, pandemic-related disruptions, very high demand for goods.
• The supply chain disruptions mean it's getting harder and harder to buy certain items, from a new pair of Nikes to a new car or dishwasher. That, in turn, drives up prices.
• In an environment in which inflation — the overall price of goods and services — is already rising, the phenomenon is having a very real effect on your pocketbook.