The Port of Oakland is aiming to clear a backlog of vessels outside the port, that resulted from the US west coast industrial action, by next week.

In a statement issued on 6 March the port said that the number of vessels anchored in San Francisco Bay was down to five compared to a high of 20 in mid-February. “The vessel logjam is expected to disappear within 10 days,” it said.

The cargo back-up from the dispute is expected to take another two months to clear.

"This isn't victory - there’s still a great deal of work to do," said Oakland maritime director John Driscoll. "But we're seeing good collaboration between labor, terminal operators and harbor truckers and our customers will soon benefit from faster, smoother cargo flow."