Discussions have been ongoing for weeks between U.S East Coast and Gulf Coast ports and the International Longshoremen’s union over a new contract. If an agreement is not reached today, the ILA membership plans to stop work at midnight. 

A work stoppage will create challenges for importers like Walmart, Lowe’s, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, IKEA, LG, Samsung, and so many others. To emphasize the significance of this dispute, nearly $14 billion in trade arrived at these ports (New York/New Jersey, Baltimore, Norfolk, Savannah, Miami, New Orleans and Houston) last week alone.

“Every importer, exporter, and even domestic shippers should be watching developments very closely this week because the impacts of a port strike on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports could potentially impact all modes if there is a strike, and if it last longer than a few days,” said Brian Bourke, global chief commercial officer of Seko Logistics, in a CNBC story this morning.

The article also shared: "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a poll on Monday morning showing that a majority of both registered voters (58%) and the general population (54%) support the Biden administration intervening and ordering the union to work and negotiate through the use of Taft-Hartley (a federal law that breaks a strike)." Published reports suggest that the growing use of automation is a key point of the disagreement.