White House Names ‘Envoy’ to Address US Ports Congestion

The Biden administration appointed John Porcari, deputy transportation secretary under President Barack Obama, as “port envoy” to its supply chain disruptions task force, the White House announced Friday. The task force was formed in June to address supply and demand “mismatches that emerged in several sectors,” including semiconductors, it said. Porcari will work with the task force and the National Economic Council to address the congestion at U.S. ports, it said. The congestion is being felt “particularly acutely” at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, “which together handle the largest share of containerized cargo moving through U.S. ports,” it said. Containerized cargo volume jumped 40% in the first half of this year compared with the same 2020 period, it said. Porcari's role will be to address “the backlog and associated delivery delays and product shortages being experienced by American consumers and businesses,” said the White House. The National Retail Federation is “encouraged” by Porcari's hiring, said David French, senior vice president-government relations. “The supply chain disruptions that continue to evolve pose a threat to many American businesses,” said French Friday. “The bottlenecks and congestion we are seeing at our ports highlight the need for an improved and sophisticated supply chain that can handle these issues.”