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In January, a record 109 ships awaited entry into the combined ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, often stretching to south Orange County. On Aug. 11, that number stood at nine ships.

The new federal port envoy said he is “very optimistic” about the progress being made to unkink the nation’s seaports and supply chain.

President Joe Biden’s administration is trying to avert another inflation-spawning logjam at the nation’s busiest seaport, just as the economy is starting to recover from the last one.

Another month, another all-time monthly record at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest port facility.

The bottlenecked ports in Los Angeles face a narrow window between now and midyear to clear container backlogs before another import surge and union contract talks threaten to stall progress moving record volumes of cargo through the busiest U.S. gateway for trade.

U.S. supply chains have a chance to return to more normal operations after retailers replenish inventories next quarter, even if the next peak shipping season arrives sooner than usual, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said Feb. 9.

The Port of Los Angeles moved record cargo volumes last year amid an import surge at the biggest U.S. container gateway and supply chain snarls brought on by the pandemic.

The Port of Los Angeles, the U.S.’s largest for container traffic, has deferred a plan to charge ocean carriers that fail to clear empty containers off the docks and is consulting with the logistics industry on alternatives on how to cut the backlogs.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during a Jan. 11 tour of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach lauded the efforts that have kept freight moving through the facilities amid crushing backlogs.

Atlantic and Pacific ports in November continued their record-setting pace as imports continue to flood into the country during the peak of the holiday shopping season.