Longshoremen's Contract Expiration May Disrupt East & Gulf Ports

Hamburg, DE, September 17, 2024-The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), representing more than 85,000 dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S., faces a contract expiration on September 30, 2024, reports Container xChange.

As negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance Ltd. (USMX) show signs of breaking down, a strike now appears increasingly likely, threatening to disrupt nearly half of the nation's ocean trade. 

Maersk has already warned of severe disruptions, noting that even a brief strike could result in weeks of recovery due to accumulated backlogs. The uncertainty is compounded by the fact that the duration of these strikes is unclear-it could be resolved within weeks or drag on for months, as seen with the West Coast strike last year.