CLEVELAND — We know the pandemic has caused a major disruption in our supply chain. In fact, things have gotten so bad that in California, shipping containers are being stored on streets and in neighborhoods because there's nowhere else to put them.
Could the Port of Cleveland help ease the nationwide backlog?
The busiest time of year for the port is between early September through early December.
David Gutheil with the Port of Cleveland says those big ships you see on Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River contain just about anything you can imagine.
“You can have retail products, you can have food, automobile parts, manufactured goods “
In fact several large local manufactures export out of Cleveland.
The Port of Cleveland can handle 100,000 containers, but yearly are only doing 5,000 to 10,000. But Covid has changed that. With other ports struggling with supply and demand, businesses out of the area are finally realizing that we are no "Mistake on the Lake."
“Our volume is starting to increase because the supply chain crisis going on around the world," explains Gutheil. "Cargo owners are looking at smaller ports to move their goods through."
Larger ports accommodate vessels making the transatlantic route.
So can Cleveland.
On the Great Lakes, we are the 3rd largest port. And just because we can’t harbor cruise ships, navy ships or vessels taller than the Terminal Tower, the Port of Cleveland can certainly take anything else.
“We have been preaching for a long time that smaller ports many times are more efficient and just as cost effective as larger ports," adds Gutheil.
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