ILA Longshoreman’s Union Strike Suspended, Ports Reopened
The Associated Press has reported that the ILA union and USMX have reached an agreement in which the current strike is suspended while they give themselves till January 15, 2025 to come to an agreement on a new 6-year contract.
Click HERE to read the full AP news story.
This announcement is great news for peak season and holiday shippers and importers who can route cargo over East and Gulf Coast ports effective immediately. However, since the contract is not resolved and a new deadline has been set, Shippers may need to continue to plan alternative routings to avoid a repeat of the strike in January if the parties do not come to an agreement before then. Transit time to the EU via US West Coast ports is approximately 3 weeks longer than routings over the US East Coast. This means shippers trying to make consistent deliveries may need to begin diverting cargo in December and with holiday delays transit times can be expected to face delays.
