North American ports

East and Gulf coast maritime employers laid out their terms for signing a new contract with longshore workers, but they warned the ‘signal’ to strike is clear.

The International Longshoremen’s Association is starting to coordinate local labor actions as its executive leaders note the ongoing “impasse” in talks with maritime employers.

New cranes on order will serve the larger ships that are coming with the expected 2025 completion of a multi-year project to widen Houston’s ship channel to accommodate two-way traffic of neo-Panamax vessels, Charlie Jenkins tells the Journal of Commerce.

A new warehouse due to open early next year in Portland for frozen and ambient-temperature cargoes could cut transportation costs for shippers now using out-of-state storage and ports.

The added capacity — 14 extra-loaders at each port — comes amid peak season demand and an anticipated boost in discretionary cargo diverted from ports along the US East and Gulf coasts as shippers protect themselves from potential longshore labor disruption.

While some customers worry rail container dwell times could worsen, port stakeholders say they are accustomed to the ebb and flow and can manage the recent import surge.

The port is looking to employ the landlord model used at other West Coast ports that would allow a private operator to manage the T6 terminal’s daily operations and market the facility to ocean carriers and shippers.

The Port of Vancouver is still berthing ships for now, but ocean carriers are reviewing future calls due to the potential for congestion caused by the Canadian railroad work stoppage.

Canada’s western ports have little capacity to handle idled intermodal cargo should railroad workers strike, but eastern ports have more space to manage any delays.

Container lines calling in Tacoma say the congestion is being caused by a surge in import volumes and a shortage of rail cars that is likely to last at least through August.

A prolonged work stoppage at ports along the East and Gulf coasts would put global shipping under stress in a manner similar to the forced vessel diversions around southern Africa, Zim’s Xavier Destriau told the Journal of Commerce.

Canada’s labor minister said he won’t force binding arbitration between Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and their main union, setting the stage for a lockout next week.

Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen’s view that the threat of a longshore strike has risen since early 2024 comes after Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said a strike was “highly unlikely.”

Maritime employers say they are offering dockworkers along the East and Gulf coasts a better deal than the one received by their West Coast counterparts last year, but the union says the proposal is inadequate.

Vincent Clerc instead expects the ILA and maritime employers to extend the current deal while talks continue rather than shutting down terminals when the contract expires at the end of September.

The $83 million project, which took two years to complete, adds another 455,000 TEUs of annual on-dock rail capacity at NIT.

The intermodal logistics provider said it will change its business model as state and federal laws make it more difficult to classify drivers as independent contractors.

The disclosure of a 76% wage increase proposal comes as ILA sent a 60-day notice to the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) warning that the union is prepared to strike if a new labor deal is not signed before the current contract’s Sept. 30 expiration.

With major liners on the trade lane reporting full ships over the last few weeks, incidents of cargo rolling have been more pervasive, forwarders say.

As the clock ticks down toward the expiration of ILA’s current contract, the window for frontloading to the East and Gulf coasts is closing and there is limited potential for diversions through Canada and Mexico, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is looking to create more space for container operations with a multi-year project to move dry bulk operations from one port area to another.

SeaLead and TS Lines have a new vessel-sharing agreement within SeaLead’s recently launched Asia-US West Coast service, harking back to the pandemic-era rush of new market entrants.

British Columbia's maritime employers warn of a port-wide strike vote taking place as Canada’s labor tribunal considers a union proposal about staffing at DP World’s Centerm.

CMA CGM will begin a rebranded standalone India America Express string from Aug. 15, decoupling from the consortium it had with Hapag-Lloyd.

The gateways say they are well-positioned to take on additional diversions from the East and Gulf coasts should an ILA strike occur after the current labor deal expires at the end of September.

The carrier said the move was a response to “ongoing robust demand” on the trade lane, becoming the second trans-Pacific service MSC has relaunched this year.

The passage of the Water Resources Development Act in the House of Representatives brings Congress one step closer to authorizing major navigational projects at the two ports.

The threat of labor unrest and the increased transit times and costlier voyages on all-water services to the East and Gulf coasts are diverting some discretionary cargo to the West Coast.

The certification that Houston can handle cargoes treated for pests while in transit means more fresh produce such as grapes and berries can move quickly through the port.

Carriers over the past two months have launched or reinstated seven services from Asia to Los Angeles-Long Beach, and three to Vancouver and the Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma.

Spot booking prices from West India to the US East and West coasts have seen four- to five-fold gains in the last week or so, according to local freight forwarders.

Spot booking prices from West India to the US East and West coasts have seen four- to five-fold gains in the last week or so, according to local freight forwarders.

The president of the International Longshoremen’s Association said maritime employers “are running out of time” to sign a new contract before the current deal’s expiration on Sept. 30.

The liner follows MSC, Cosco and CMA CGM in rolling out new services that cater to the growing container trade between China and Mexico.

The port was able to clear all the recently anchored vessels, helped by a temporary reopening of all Wando Welch’s berths last week amid a 10-day pause in project work.

The revised forecast from the National Retail Federation comes as US consumer spending remains strong despite higher prices for merchandise and various supply chain challenges that have increased shipping costs.

Maritime employers at the Port of Vancouver prevailed at a last minute federal hearing over a strike vote that longshore foremen took against DP World.

The Biden administration’s attempts to build a homegrown crane industry due to cybersecurity concerns drew little interest from the National Association of Waterfront Employers, which doesn’t see a threat from Chinese-made cranes.

The Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions have each approved allocating $12.5 million to help fund the installation of about 200 charging stations to serve battery-powered trucks in the region.

Over 150 groups representing a variety of US businesses called on the White House to bring labor and management together, but it’s not clear if the ILA would welcome outside influence.