Container ship under Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach
From a Port Technology article called ‘Federal Regulator Lambasts US Congestion’:

Congestion at US West Coast ports is to continue long after any industrial disputes are resolved because of problems handling the massive capacities of mega-ships and navigating the timetables of new shipping alliances a US Federal Maritime Commission regulator has warned.

Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission Mario Cordero made his statement amongst an ongoing battle between ports and workers’ unions.

“Let’s say there’s a settlement tomorrow on the West Coast. We need to realise that that’s not going to eliminate the congestion problem. In the summer of 2014, (I) identified that the congestion issue was impacting our national interests.

“I think the stakeholders all will admit that our ports were not ready to facilitate the 10,000, 17,000, 19,000 TEU vessels that are arriving.

Read the rest at Port Technology