The queue of ships waiting to unload at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach fell from a peak of 109 ships in January to four vessels this week, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. Shipping specialists say fewer ships than normal are heading to the main US gateway complex for imports from Asia in coming days and that cargo volumes that had long swamped the ports now are receding. Bottlenecks continue to delay cargo at other major US seaports and at inland freight hubs, but the end of the backup at the big ports in California signals broader supply-chain tangles that have been troubling retailers and manufacturers are unwinding. Maersk is reporting that the Port of Vancouver now has the longest dwell time among North American ports due to persistent congestion in Toronto and Montreal.
