International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) dockworkers on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast began a strike early on Tuesday, October 1st, after the contract negotiations with United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) failed.

The ILA represents around 45,000 dockworkers at 36 ports stretching from Maine to Texas. The strike is set to impact all merchant ship types, likely to form vessel queues along the US eastern seaboard. Carriers have started implementing contingency measures such as port omissions, diversions, and/or slow steaming to closed ports.

Please reach out to your local Expeditors representative if you have any questions or concerns.