Local regulation banning more than two shipping containers from being stacked together at the Port of Long Beach enacted for aesthetic reasons is currently worsening the massive back up at port

November 1, 2021 - WASHINGTON — Last week, Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) called on local leaders in Long Beach, California and throughout the state’s port cities to prioritize the global supply chain over their local aesthetic preferences. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the Port of Long Beach has been experiencing a “supply-chain logjam on an epic scale” due, in part, to a local zoning regulation banning shipping crates from being stacked more than two high seemingly for aesthetic reasons. Though local leaders have promised a temporary stay on the rule, Rep. Harder is pushing for a long term solution to this critical issue.

“When I found out that somebody’s beach front view was the reason Central Valley families were seeing astronomical prices at the grocery store while Central Valley farmers were facing ridiculous shipping costs, I simply couldn’t believe it. But that’s exactly what’s been happing in Long Beach,” said Rep. Harder. “I’m calling on local leaders across California to suspend these ridiculous rules until we can fix our global supply chain and families in the Valley are paying reasonable prices for what they need to get by.”

Delays at ports like the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles are currently causing massive increases in the price of consumer goods across the country including in the Central Valley. The New York Times recently reported that “Thanksgiving 2021 could be the most expensive meal in the history of the holiday” due in part to shipping times between the United States and China almost doubling over the past two years.  In addition to this push, Rep. Harder is leading the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 alongside Republicans and Democrats to help fix the dire situation at California’s ports, combat China’s influence over international shipping, and bring down the rapidly rising costs of consumer goods.
Source: Congressman Josh Harder