America's top shipping official plans to waste no time in addressing West Coast port congestion that has led to supply chain disruption all the way back to China.

US Department of Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said the federal government plans to fast-track more than $5bn of $17bn in federal money earmarked for port upgrades.

"As long as the pandemic persists, as long as we are making up for decades of past disinvestment, we are going to see impacts on shipping times and shipping costs, but that's exactly why we're here not waiting one minute to address supply chain disruptions now," he said on Tuesday during a press conference at California's Port of Long Beach.