about congestion problems at West Coast ports, the backup is causing real trouble for importers and exporters alike. KTVU is Tom Vacar tells us that with the holiday season just around the corner retailers are also getting nervous. Ron Fisher owns Fisher Nuts, Modesto grower processor and exporter of almonds, who like tens of thousands of other farmers, raising more than 350 crops cannot get containers nor ships to foreign markets. It's extremely difficult for us in the next sports situation to get our product. To the markets. Delays cost the farmer dearly. You have some either value loss, or you actually have to dump the product due to decay or spoil it. But wait, there's more. If it's under your Christmas tree. Odds are the GSC logistics at the Port of Oakland had a hand in getting it from the ship. Two retailers. At the rate we're going, we're not going to see Christmas merchandise arrive in the stores until January port congestion going on for more than a year now say some experts is the worst it's ever been. Ocean carriers are delaying shipments or skipping them all together. Right now, there's about 55 contained ships that are at anchor. Uh another 30 that are at birth. Ah and they're extremely constrained down in southern California. At the same time, the port of Oakland needs work. But most of the ships are not coming here, either to drop off containers or pick up especially perishable agricultural exports that support many jobs. Well, they're skipping Oakland because the vessel lines which are mostly foreign owned, uh, are looking to make a fast buck. Should we say. Instead of dropping off products in Oakland were picking up exports. They're heading right back to Asia, where vessel owners can get as much as 20 to 40 times more than Oakland. Agricultural exports will fetch for them. The vessel owners explain the worsening problem this way six weeks ago blaming it on worldwide congestion. We are filling orders, and we aren't shipping as much as we could. Because of the congestion because of tie ups of equipment. Lynn Shipping that continues from L. A to the bay is really not an option. Rail is almost impossible. The truck rates would triple or quadruple, and that's what's happening right now, though the Federal Maritime Commission has opened up an investigation into the situation. We are racing the clock for the holidays
