East Coast ports are under threat of a strike and carriers have been advised to plan for a strike.
This is because the labor contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the American Maritime Union is about to expire,
and although they have been in talks for over a year,
they have reached an impasse and the president of the International Longshoremen’s Association has warned that they will strike after the contract expires.
East Coast port strike looms with big impact
Experts believe that the work stoppage will have a major impact on imports,
cargo owners are worried about this and the CEO of the National Retail Federation has sent a letter saying that he wants the two sides to resume contract negotiations quickly.
Cargo is moving from an eastern port to the west coast
Retailers should also be aware of the progress of the negotiations in case the strike causes problems with imports during the peak season.
Cargo owners are planning to build supply chains through West Coast gateways in this situation,
and there are already figures showing a shift in traffic from Eastern ports to the West Coast.