US appoints former DOT official to tackle ports congestion
John Porcari steps in as shipping costs between US and China jump 90%.
The US government has appointed former deputy transportation secretary, John Porcari, as envoy to work with ports to tackle vessel congestion and supply-chain disruption.
Mr Poircari will serve as liaison between ports and a task force on supply chain disruptions that was set up in June by the Biden administration.
He will work closely with incumbent transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg and the National Economic Council to address unparalleled congestion that has resulted in up to 40 ships waiting off the US west coast to enter the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“The pandemic has fundamentally disrupted our supply chains, which is impacting consumers, workers, and businesses across the country,” Porcari said in a statement.
“I am excited to hit the ground running and get to work immediately with industry, labour, and other port stakeholders to address these challenges and to build a more resilient, future-facing supply chain that powers our economy into the future.”
