Why The Global Supply Chain Is Still Clogged — And How To Fix It
Cargo containers sit stacked on ships at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest container port, on October 15, 2021 in San Pedro, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
Cargo containers sit stacked on ships at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest container port, on October 15, 2021 in San Pedro, California.
Mario Tama/Getty ImagesLast week the White House announced a plan to help move the port of Los Angeles into 24/7 operating status. But that will only "open the gates" of the clogged global supply chain, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NPR on the NPR Politics Podcast.
Another crucial supply chain link is the trucking industry, which is short tens of thousands of drivers. Bruce Basada, President of the Diesel Driving Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana, explains why.
The clogged supply chain is leading to delays and shortage on all kinds of products. NPR coverage in this episode includes excerpts from Scott Horsley's report on a shortage of glass bottles, Petra Mayer's story on the slowdown in book production, and Alina Selyukh's look at shipping delays for children's toys. Special thanks to Scott, Petra, and Alina for editing help on this episode.
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This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino and Brent Baughman. It was edited by Justine Kenin, Rafael Nam, Scott Horsley, Petra Mayer, Alina Selyukh, Lee Hale, and Fatma Tanis. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.