The gathering will be closely watched by ocean carriers, shippers and container terminal operators in the US and Europe for signs that global unions are developing a coordinated cross-border "solidarity strike” strategy.
Trans-Pacific carriers are facing rapidly declining demand and freight rates on the trade lane as the frontloading that occurred during the 90-day pause on new US tariffs — now extended to Aug. 1 — has largely lost steam.
Still, analyst Larry Gross suspects that the early strength seen in the first half of the year is substantially composed of volume that has been “borrowed” from a peak season that will be “late and tepid” as a result.
