Congested
Can America keep the goods flowing to Wal-Mart?
MID-JULY marks the start of peak season for the Californian ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, as America's retailers stock up for the back-to-school and Christmas shopping seasons. Peak season means queues in the harbour, delays at the dock, congestion on the freeways, and delayed trains carrying containers inland. Last year was bad. This year will be worse. Traffic through the two ports will grow by 11.6% in 2004, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. By 2006, warned the corporation in a recent report, there will be “gridlock”.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Congested”
From the July 24th 2004 edition
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