[zz865]

True the East coast buys too much crap too, but doesn't have the same population growth and the ports aren't backed up like CA is.

[adjkant]

1. The population growth is minimal and not the factor here. There are still far more people on the east coast when you include the south: https://www.census.gov/popclock/data_tables.php?component=gr...

2. Much of the stuff that comes through western ports are coming to the east coast. Things being shipped from China/Japan/etc are usually brought across the US as far as I'm aware.

[grayfaced]

The east coast is serviced by west coast ports. Where do you think the shipping is from?

[zz865]

Well I live near Newark and currently there are a bunch of boats there that came from Asia in a month, via Suez & Panama. Its much more efficient than trucking across the whole country.

https://www.myshiptracking.com/vessels/pelican-mmsi-63601548... https://www.myshiptracking.com/vessels/gudrun-maersk-mmsi-22... https://www.myshiptracking.com/vessels/ever-lovely-mmsi-5630...

[ncallaway]

When people on the East coast but goods from China/Japan/other pacific nations, those goods typically move through west coast ports.

So the backups with LA and other ports are because of increased demand on the east coast, west coast, and everywhere in between.

[pkaye]

That is because the west coast is closer to Asia where lot of stuff is made these days.