Posted on 06/16/2021 5:49:02 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
Whidbey Island is a lovely place about 30 miles north of Seattle on the Puget Sound. Most days the tranquil sounds of rolling waves and chirping birds provide an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. But these days, all is not so serene. Residents are complaining about the ruckus created by humongous container ships anchored off their shore.
"We've never seen them this close before," a Whidbey Islander told a local news station. "We're hearing the throbbing noise at night. ... It's a nuisance." The noise has been so loud that residents have been complaining to the county sheriff's office about it.
Whidbey Islanders are getting a front row seat to the growing U.S. trade deficit, which is hitting record highs. It's fueled by a surge in demand for imports, mostly from East Asia. There's so much cargo being shipped to the U.S. from Asia right now that the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are chock-full of container ships.
"We are seeing a historic surge of cargo volume coming into our ports," says Tom Bellerud, the chief operations officer of The Northwest Seaport Alliance, which manages all cargo processing at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. "The terminals are having a difficult time keeping up with processing all the cargo off these vessels fast enough."
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
My father used to tell me if I didn't do well in school, I'd find myself working in the dockyards.
Now I'm wishing I didn't do so well in school.
This article has a pretty good explanation of what is causing the worldwide container shortage and why various imported goods are out of stock at retailers.
It seems all those stimulus checks are going directly to buying more crap from China.
Is it any wonder that many Americans used all the money they didn’t spend on those other things to buy consumer products instead?
Yes, and no.
Almost all manufactured goods have components that are produced both domestically and international.
For example, the Stihl chainsaw that is assembled in Myrtle Beach is made from 50 different components. The engine may be made in the US. The plastic body may come from China. So, the plastic body parts could be delayed in transit resulting in production delays at the plant in SC. This is why your local Stihl dealer does not have any chainsaws in stock.
Add to that stateside manufacturers being unable to get workers due to uncle sugar doling out the dollars for people to stay home and also shortages of inputs.
This thing will take a few years to level out.
We really can’t shut down like this ever again.
This is a transitory situation as the supply chains rebuild depleted inventory after a year of shut down
In 2008 they gave the money to the banks and it all went into the stock market. That is why we had the great disconnect (stock market from the economy). People expected price inflation, but it only happened in stocks.
This time, they rained trillions down on the “unwashed masses”, fueling massing demand and kick starting price inflation. Lots of dollars now seeking limited goods. We are about to pine for the Carter inflation years.
This may explain why there is a big push for using containers to build housing, etc.
It looks like a cool idea but it’s actually a TERRIBLE idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7yEDz6bCfU
“We really can’t shut down like this ever again.”
The media is currently pushing the “delta variant” of COVID in the hopes of shutting things down again. Have no doubt. It’s coming.
Local news here in NH said that the unemployment rate was back down to 2.5%. There are help wanted signs in front of almost every business here in Nashua.
Shut downs won’t work anymore. The toothpaste is out of the tube.
i had a few chainsaws laying around. Some as old as 30 years. They all still run fine. I put them on Craigslist last week for ridiculous money. They were gone the same day for my asking price. Crazy world.
With global supply chains such as they are now, could any country mount on offensive like Germany did in WWII? Could the US build a fighter jet with materials all sourced from CONUS?
On domestic supply chains, I've read there are 10 trains per day full of food entering NYC. If those railways were disrupted, how long would civil order last in NYC?
Yes, it is transitory.
However, there were huge increases in demand for certain products because of covid lock downs. Boats and Hot tubs are a prime example. Everyone still wanted to be able to get away, so they went out and bought a boat or RV.
People staying home because of covid decided to spend money on their house by building a deck and installing a hot tub, etc.
When the price of lumber quadrupled, people started reconsidering these projects. Now the price of lumber has topped and is going down.
People who have to wait a year to get a boat are also coming to their senses.
All too true. Where my son works is now closed on Mondays. They are so short staffed management realized they were burning out the workers they had with multiple double shifts a week. Can't find staff, so in order to ease up on the people they have... Probably smart but too bad, he has been making money hand over fist...
I have a 1991 Stihl 026 that is in the shop right now. It is missing a chunk out of the side of the piston. I asked how much for a new one just like it? $625, but I can’t get any.
So, it is being repaired.
I looked on Craigslist and FB Marketplace. Used ones like mine were going for $300ish.
Same story on my 1991 Echo string trimmer. Waiting for a part.
Fortunately, I have a spare.
My son in law’s old lawn tractor died about a month ago. He bought a new Toro because a local place had it in stock and could deliver it two days later.
True, patience is key.
Where do these idiots think all that crap they order from Amazon comes from?
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