Both companies included increased transportation costs among their reasons for the increases, which also included rising raw material and manufacturing costs. The effect of the pandemic-related shifts in demand on shipping volume has created unprecedented delays and price increases for both international and domestic shipments.
Los Angeles-area ports (Los Angeles and Long Beach) have been setting records for the number of ships waiting to dock in recent weeks. At noon PT Thursday, September 9, new records were set for container ships in port, and for container ships waiting to berth, with 79 container ships in port and 49 waiting, either anchored or drifting (with anchorage areas full), according to the Maritime Exchange of Southern California Facebook. Thirty of the 79 container ships are currently at berth and being unloaded.
CEO Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Comics, who we interviewed recently, told us that flying over Los Angeles he could see ships lined up out into the Pacific (see "ICv2 Interview: Mike Richardson"), and said that increased transportation costs were also requiring Dark Horse to look at raising prices.
Most projections are that shipping woes will continue at least into early 2022, with a container shortage exacerbating other capacity issues (see "International Shipping Delays Likely to Continue").
