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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Are cargo ships being prevented by US states from unloading goods, causing a backlog?

By Christiana Dillard
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NO

Although there are dozens of waiting ships at U.S. ports resulting in a delivery backlog, the backlog is the result of supply chain problems, changes in consumer demand and port worker availability, not from states preventing ships from unloading their goods as a social media post claims.

A spokesperson for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development told Lead Stories: "There are many complex reasons that lead to congestion and delays, but there is no action by port authorities that prevents these ships from unloading."

A report by that organization cited changing demands during the pandemic: "Changes in consumption and shopping patterns triggered by the pandemic, including a surge in electronic commerce ... have in fact led to increased import demand for manufactured consumer goods, a large part of which is moved in shipping containers."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Port of Los Angeles SAN PEDRO BAY PORTS ANNOUNCE NEW MEASURES TO SPEED CARGO THROUGHPUT
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development CONTAINER SHIPPING IN TIMES OF COVID-19: WHY FREIGHT RATES HAVE SURGED, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICYMAKERS
National Retail Federation Retail Imports Remain Strong But Growth Slows as COVID-19 Disruptions Continue
BBC Record backlog of cargo ships at California ports
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.