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The Biden administration is focusing on new efforts to address the strain on the supply chain.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner reacted to this new plan to resolve the supply chain issues.
".@Port_Houston is an economic engine for our region," Turner said in a post to his Twitter account on Nov. 9. "I greatly appreciate President @JoeBiden’s administration for giving flexibility as our ports look to address supply chain issues."
Retailers fear the supply chain debacle could adversely affect the holiday shopping season. Truck driver shortages and factory closures attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic are just some of the factors behind the disruptions. The nation's oldest ports are expected to undergo upgrades under a multibillion-dollar plan.
The plan is expected to create funding flexibility, according to a report from USA Today. In particular, the Georgia Port Authority will have the capacity to reallocate over $8 million in past funding to start pop-up container yards in Georgia and North Carolina. The result of this will be to create more docking space at the Port of Savannah, which is the third biggest container import port in the United States and one of the most important ports for agricultural products.
The Biden administration estimates the ports will be ready for use in between 30 and 40 days. Backups at ports and warehouses, a lack of truck drivers, factory closures due to COVID-19 and a shortage in shipping containers are believed to be the causes of the current supply chain problems, according to a report by USA Today. This has created higher consumer prices and shortages in goods.
The supply chain problems also create political issues for the Biden administration due to the problems they cause for the overall economy. Biden visited the port of Baltimore on Nov. 10 to promote his plan. About $17 billion out of Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan will go to ports and waterways, according to a report from USA Today.