An Analysis of The West Coast Port Congestion Post-Pandemic
Open Access
Author:
Zheng, Ke
Area of Honors:
Supply Chain and Information Systems
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Robert Alexander Novack, Thesis Supervisor John C Spychalski, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Supply Chain Transportation COVID-19 Congestion
Abstract:
As the global economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the two major west coast ports in the United States, Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, have been suffering from severe congestion, thus heavily impacting the supply chain in the United States. While imports continue to grow, it is urgent for public sectors and businesses to develop strategies to cope with congestion and minimize its subsequent impact on the supply chain. This thesis will seek to understand the underlying factors leading to the congestion by analyzing publicly available publications and data as well as evaluating the strategies adopted by businesses and public sectors in response to the issue. This thesis concludes with seven recommendations to help businesses adapt to the congestion and assist in future prevention. The recommendations proposed include investing in infrastructure expansion, subjecting antitrust regulations to the shipping and transportation industries, establishing the office of freight at the state or federal level, supporting cargo redirection to other ports, encouraging capacity increases in Canadian and Mexican ports, providing aid in response to zero-emission policies, and improving welfare to relieve labor shortages.