Biggest Gateway for U.S. Imports Hit by Record Ship Bottleneck

Ship congestion around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach hit an unprecedented level, worsening the bottleneck at the busiest gateway for U.S. imports.

A record 38 container ships are awaiting berth space -- 36 at anchor and two more that were directed to wait in designated areas at sea until anchorages are available, the Marine Exchange of Southern California said in a note late Thursday. It’s the first time since 2004 that so-called drift zones have been used to manage traffic into the neighboring ports.

“This is a problem which does not have a short-term fix,” said ...