From the peaceful vantage point of Angels Gate Park, high above San Pedro Bay in San Pedro, California, a huge floating traffic jam of cargo ships was clearly visible when it reached its peak of 109 vessels in January, stranding toys, clothing, semiconductors, cars and a long list of items headed to stores, factories and online shoppers' doorsteps.
The backup that began early in 2020 is gone now, but big problems remain for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and by extension, the tens of thousands of Southern California workers whose jobs are dependent on the twin harbors and the international trade that flows through them.
That's because U.S. retailers and manufacturers — hurt by the logjam and worried about a potential dockworkers strike — figured out workarounds that sent their cargo containers to ports on the East and Gulf coasts, which have been investing heavily for years to grab shipping business away from Southern California.
