The International Longshoremen’s Association, which is a 47,000 member union representing cargo handlers at the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast Ports, has threated to begin striking on January 15, 2025 as it seeks protection from automation. It reached a resolution on wages in October 2024, but the technology/automation issue remained unresolved.
Given the potential impact a strike could have on the supply chain, we continue our coverage we began in September 2024: Supply Chain Threat: U.S. Port Strike and October 2024: With a Port Strike, What’s Stuck on the Water? and Port Strike: Impacted Jobs and Freight Rates.
- The heatmap below outlines the import volume for the month of November 2024 (expressed in TEUs, twenty foot equivalent units) at the East Coast and Gulf Coasts ports that are at risk of shutting down if a strike begins on January 15, 2025.
- The next chart illustrates import volume (expressed in TEUs, twenty foot equivalent units) at the top five ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, along with import volume at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, through November 2024.
- In Fall 2024, when importers became aware of a potential strike, they began shipping to ports on the West Coast ahead of the impending holiday season.
- Since that time, activity at the Port of Los Angeles has remained above 2023 levels as illustrated in the chart below (measured by TEU volume).
- The final chart illustrates annual import volumes at the East and Gulf Coast Ports (in red) and the West Coast Ports (in blue). Since the Pandemic, East and Gulf Coast container imports have surpassed ports on the West Coast.
