The cause of congestion at U.S. ports.

In 2021, the Port of Los Angeles, North America's busiest port, experienced a record volume.

In 2021, the container volume at the port increased to a record 10.6 million TEUs, representing a nearly 16% increase from the previous year.

The industry standard for measuring cargo capacity for ships and terminals is a TEU, which is equivalent to twenty feet. One 20-foot container can hold approximately 400 flat-screen TVs.

The influx of volume brought with it a range of challenges affecting various sectors, including retail stores, manufacturers, and port-side communities.

Over 70 container ships were drifting, slow steaming, or waiting outside the Port of Los Angeles as of February 16. Additionally, there were approximately 62,000 empty containers at the port's terminal and off-dock depots.

In the past two years, economies, ports, factories, and workers have experienced fluctuations, while truckers have been out of work due to various reasons, including fundamental differences between countries, which have disrupted global supply chains.

Port congestion also has health implications for the surrounding community.

In October, the increase in pollution near the San Pedro Bay ports was equivalent to the emissions from 5.8 million passenger cars due to the logjam of ships idling.

Another source of pollution are trucks, trains, and terminal equipment, as freight transportation has been linked to higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other illnesses, according to the Clean Air Coalition.

Chris Chavez, Deputy Policy Director of the Coalition for Clean Air, stated that while the ports are a significant economic hub with global importance, their impact on people's health, quality of life, and lifespan cannot be ignored.

According to Sea-Intelligence, a Copenhagen-based maritime data firm, 11.5% of global vessel capacity was offline in November due to ships waiting in queues. This had worldwide implications.

To alleviate the congestion at West Coast ports, watch the video for more information on the causes and solutions.

Watch more:

Can Patagonia compete with The North Face? How airlines are managing increasing air rage incidents.