The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation recently named John D. Porcari, a public and private sector infrastructure leader, as port envoy to the Biden-Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force.
In this role, Porcari will work with the department, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the National Economic Council to address congestion at U.S. ports. He will address backlog, delivery delays and product shortages.
Compared to 2019, the cost of shipping containers between China and the West Coast increased more than 90 percent. During the first half of the year, containerized cargo volumes at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach increased 40 percent. The two ports handle the largest share of containerized cargo moving through U.S. ports.
“The pandemic has fundamentally disrupted our supply chains which is impacting consumers, workers, and businesses across the country,” Porcari said. “I am excited to hit the ground running and get to work immediately with industry, labor, 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.”
Established in June, the task force addresses port and trucking issues. It hosted a virtual round table in July.