Ships from China head east in US amid backlogs

Cargo ships from China are figuring out that instead of waiting 10 days anchored off the coast of California to unload their freight, it may make more sense to travel the breadth of the United States — to the East Coast.

"It is now nearly 25 percent faster for ships from China to call upon this port (the Port of Newark) than the ports on the West Coast," New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Friday. "It is anything but a direct line from China to New Jersey. And yet a ship leaving China today can save itself nearly two weeks' total time by logging thousands of additional miles and coming here, rather than making a beeline across the Pacific."

Murphy, speaking at the port, said that "in working with our partners at the Port Authority, organized labor and the private sector, New Jersey has avoided the supply chain and logistical breakdowns that much of our country has faced".

This isn't a case of one state taking business away from another for political reasons. Murphy is a Democrat, as is California Governor Gavin Newsom.

"So many of the goods that come into Newark and (Port) Elizabeth are destined for consumers far from New Jersey. We're a critical stop on the way to major cities across the nation," Murphy said, adding that Chicago is just one example.

On the Pacific coast, the scenario of scores of cargo ships waiting to dock and unload is causing major delays for goods. In fact, the California ports, chiefly the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, were the focus of recent efforts by the White House to alleviate supply chain backlogs, particularly around the Christmas holiday season.

On Friday morning, there were only five ships anchored outside New York Harbor, nj.com reported.

"Unlike the Port of Los Angeles — the nation's busiest, and ground zero for the crisis that has seen as many as 100 ships waiting at anchor to be berthed and unloaded — the operations at Port Newark in New Jersey seemed barely affected by the problems elsewhere," wrote nj.com.

The Port Newark Container Terminal, about 18 miles southwest of Manhattan, occupies 272 acres, handling more than 1.3 million 20-foot equivalent containers annually, the port's website says.

Since 2011, Port Newark made infrastructure investments of $425 million, including dredging waterways and raising bridges, and more upgrades are planned.

"We will be undertaking a widening of the Turnpike (highway) around our ports to keep traffic moving, and not just the trucks leaving port, but also the cars carrying port workers to their jobs along with the millions of other travelers," Murphy said.

"When you look around at all of these containers, 40 percent of the US population is going to have their presents next weekend because of the Port of New York and New Jersey," said Bethann Rooney, deputy director of the port department for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Rooney said that the ports in New York, New Jersey and Staten Island set a record in October for cargo. She said the port will likely handle 22 percent more cargo than it did last year.

The ships coming in hold about 12,000 containers — 65 percent of which will be offloaded within 48 hours, News 12 reported. The freighters then sail back down the Atlantic Ocean coast, freeing up space for the next ships.

"The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is proud to be able to keep our seaport operations smooth and continuous throughout this global health pandemic while at the same time absorbing significant capacity stemming from an ongoing cargo surge that has resulted in more than a year of record-breaking volumes and unprecedented growth," said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole.