SIMIC

Following meetings with parties concerned, the White House said it has secured commitments from the parties "to move more goods faster, and strengthen the resiliency of our supply chains, by moving towards 24/7 operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach."

The commitments came as LA-LB dealt with heavy volumes of imports that have led to severe delays for ships reaching berth and shippers being able to retrieve their goods. LA and LB saw container volumes grow 30 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, this year through August compared with the year-earlier period, according to the White House.

A statement from the White House did not indicate how long the ports would operate on a 24/7 basis, according to IHS Media

The commitments that the White House secured include Los Angeles joining Long Beach in offering off-peak, night-time shifts and weekend hours for container retrieval. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has agreed to allow its members to work the overnight shift, the White House said.

The White House said the "expansion [of hours] means the Port of Los Angeles has nearly doubled the hours that cargo will be able to move out of its docks and on highways."

Major shippers have also agreed to use the night gates and extend their own operating hours to handle the imports. All in, the shippers will move an additional 3,500 containers per week off the ports during the nighttime gate hours, the White House said.