Port Congestion Adding ‘Days and Weeks’ to US Supply Chains: NRF

The National Retail Federation seeks a meeting with President Joe Biden to address the congestion crisis at key U.S. maritime ports that’s “causing significant challenges for America’s retailers,” NRF CEO Matthew Shay wrote the White House Monday. The congestion has “added days and weeks to our supply chains,” leading to “inventory shortages impacting our ability to serve our customers,” said Shay. The delays also are raising "significant transportation and warehousing costs” that many larger retailers can absorb, but smaller retailers “may have no choice but to pass along these costs” to consumers, he said. Retailers continue to work with the ports and transportation providers to resolve the congestion, but “we need strong leadership from the administration to galvanize attention to the current situation as well as work to resolve long-standing issues that limit safe and efficient port operations,” said Shay. The White House didn’t comment Tuesday. Vizio was among suppliers bringing the ports congestion issue to light when it said last month that logistics delays were preventing the company from getting products “processed and out into the distribution hubs” (see 2105120064).