LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of container ships at anchor or drifting in San Pedro Bay off the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in U.S. Southern California set new record this week and kept rising by the day.

According to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, a non-profit organization in charge of recording ship arrivals and departures in the two biggest container ports in the United States, there were an all-time-high 61 container ships in the queue in San Pedro Bay on Wednesday.

"Ship report 9/15: New records noted by: 146 total ships inport LA/LB includes 88 at anchor or drift areas & 58 at berths. Of the 146, 92 are container ships including 61 at anchor or in drift areas & 31 at berth. 25 vessels in drift areas (21 container ships, 4 tankers)." the organization tweeted Wednesday.

Kip Loutit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, was quoted by American Shipper magazine on Thursday as saying that the number could go a lot higher than on Wednesday since designated anchorages in the ports were limited but the space for ships to safely drift offshore was not.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said during a press conference on Wednesday that container dwell time in the terminal "has reached its peak since the surge began," disclosing that it was six days currently, worsening from average 5.3 days last month.

The cause of the backup, said business insiders, was strictly-enforced COVID-19 restrictions at the ports, including those in Asia, as well as unprecedented demand for goods from China, South Korea, and other Asian countries. The top items on backed-up ships included furniture, auto parts, and textiles. Enditem

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