On September 20, 2012, the Journal of Commerce (JOC) issued an article announcing that the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached an agreement to extend the contract covering ILA dockworkers for 90 days, with a new expiration date of December 29, 2012.

The article explains that "the extension was announced by George H. Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, after two days of negotiations aided by a federal mediator." The contract was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2012.

Expeditors will continue to monitor the progress of the negotiations, and will provide updates as they become available.

The JOC article is available online here.