of the year before things get back to “normal.” There is even a projection that there will never be a “normal” again. If this is to be the new norm or if this bottleneck situation is to happen again, we need to be prepared for that by investing in our ports (specifically, infrastructure) and creating wise policies around our ports. Personally, I think it is going to continuously get better. What you are going to see is that the velocity (ability to get containers in and out of the dock quickly) will improve, but we will also maintain the current high volume. WG&S: How can the agriculture industry continue to support you in your efforts? PO: A lot of agriculture lies outside my district but about all of ag comes through my district. Just because you do not have a port in your district, it does not mean that advocating for the support of ports is not important to your district. I encourage folks who have farms across California to engage with their respective assemblymember and make them aware of how important ports are to your business and district. WG&S: Any last thoughts for our readers? PO: The current state of the supply chain is very much bipartisan. This is something that we all see as a real issue, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to help solve this problem. My job has continually been to educate others in Sacramento as to how important the ports are to our economy. Forty percent of the goods imported in the United States come through the two ports in my district. For economic, environmental and national security reasons, we need to invest in our port complex and infrastructure so we can get goods in and out in a more expeditious and environmentally-friendly fashion.
Governor Gavin Newsom has developed a list of properties and locations near the ports where we can place these unused containers to free up space on the docks. This will allow us to bring more products into the ports and push more out. • Long Term: Examining Infrastructure Needs and Investing in our Ports The root cause of this bottleneck is people buying a lot of stuff and our infrastructure not being prepared for it. We need to look at infrastructure support for the ports, focusing on more on-dock rails (railroads closer to the ship where we can move product easily off the ship and onto the train) so we would not need as many trucks. Additionally, we need to start speaking about encouraging U.S. production of chassis (the undercarriage of automobiles). There is a shortage of chassis because 1) they are being made in far- away lands like China and it is taking too long to get them; and 2) containers are being sent to full warehouses, and as a result, they are just sitting in the parking lot on chassis and tying up the chassis pool. WG&S: When can we expect things to go back to normal? PO: Port management is telling us that it will be the better part
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