Here's a live ticker on the ILA and USMX negotiations in the United States

***Update January 9, 2025*** Tentative agreement has been reached

ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year Master Contract. With this agreement, the work interruption expected for January 15, 2025, will not go as planned and operations will remain normal.

***Update December 19, 2024*** - labor negotiations between the ILA and the USMX remain unresolved

As you may have seen in recent news, labor negotiations between the ILA and the USMX remain unresolved. While a tentative agreement was reached in October 2024 to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, key issues are still under negotiation, raising concerns about potential port disruptions.

Despite ongoing efforts to reach a resolution, the risk of disruption is increasing as the deadline approaches, though the situation remains dynamic.

We are committed to keeping you informed in real-time as the situation evolves. To assist with your cargo planning, please visit our live tracker, which provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), options for your import and export cargo, and details on how detention, demurrage, and storage charges will be handled during this period.

• For our import customers (all container types), we encourage you to expedite the readiness of your import documentation and customs clearance to facilitate the prompt retrieval of your cargo from the terminal before any potential work stoppage.
  • For our Carrier Haulage customers, please ensure compliance with the 5-day rule for your import cargo at U.S. Inland Terminals. More details on the 5-day rule can be found here.
• For our export customers (all container types), we will continue to accept bookings to the U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports as long as rail providers and terminals are accepting containers.
  • Ports have advised that reefer containers may not be monitored during any port closures in the event of a strike. We recommend planning your shipments accordingly to avoid any disruptions.

Given the evolving nature of the situation, this information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at this time. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest news sent directly to your email inbox by subscribing here. Alternatively, please bookmark this page to stay up to date with the latest developments.

We appreciate your understanding and value your continued trust and partnership. Should you have any concerns or require additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out to our teams at your location.

**Update October 4, 2024 - [revised]** - Strike ends at US East Coast and Gulf Ports

As you may have heard in the news, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative agreement as of October 3, 2024, effectively ending the strike that impacted U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports. Further details of the agreement will be worked out over the next several months; however, port workers have resumed operations on Friday, October 4, 2024.

Our teams are diligently working to restore normal operations, including loading and unloading containers on and off vessels and moving containers to their destinations that may have been discharged in foreign ports or returned to load ports. However, we anticipate that residual delays and disruptions will persist for some time, especially since ports, trucking, and rail services are operating at full capacity to clear the congestion caused by the strike.

We understand the current challenges and are committed to supporting you. To mitigate the impact on your operations and costs, we have implemented the following measures:

• Vessel Re-routing: We proactively rerouted cargo to alternative ports, ensuring shipments were not delayed. This was done at our cost, covering transportation to the original destination.
• Demurrage Charges: We will adhere to terminal policies and only pass on charges if billed. Our team is actively seeking leniency on your behalf.
• Detention Charges: We have extended free time through October 6, 2024. No detention charges will accrue during this period, and we will reassess the situation on October 7, 2024.
• Removal of disruption surcharges: We have expired the previously announced WDS/WID charges, which were initially intended to address potential strike-related costs in the event of extended disruption and significant congestion. Our priority is to restore normal operations and provide support as you navigate any challenges during this time.

While we have taken every measure to minimize disruption and costs for you, we are continually assessing the situation and will communicate as needed any necessary recovery of additional costs caused by the strike, in line with our Bill of Lading/sea waybill terms, including Clauses 16 and 17.

We are constantly working with extreme care to ensure the safe handling of your cargo and will keep you informed of any significant updates. You can also track the latest developments in real time using our Live-Tracker

**Update October 4, 2024 - AM**

The strike that started on October 1, 2024, as a consequence of the labor negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), has ended. The union has reached a tentative agreement, and therefore, operations will resume on October 4, 2024.

Please remember to visit our Live-Tracker to stay up to date with the latest developments.

**Update October 1, 2024**

The strike resulting from ongoing labor negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) has commenced, leading to the temporary closure of U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports. This situation is impacting the movement of import and export containers, affecting our operations, including the loading and unloading of containers.

As a result of this situation, which is beyond our control, we will need to adjust our services or temporarily suspend operations as conditions evolve. Our priority remains the protection of your cargo during this period. Please note that this is a fluid situation, and the impact on our operations and related conditions is subject to change without notice.  

Our teams are committed to keeping you informed with real-time updates as the situation develops. Please visit our Live-Tracker to stay up to date with the latest developments.

**Update September 19, 2024, 1:00 PM**

This live ticker will assist your cargo planning during the dynamic situation on the ongoing negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. (USMX). We are committed to keeping you informed in real-time as the situation evolves.

Please visit our operational updates section here, which provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), options for your import and export cargo, and details on how detention, demurrage, and storage charges will be handled during this period.

• For our export customers, we will continue to accept bookings to the U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports as long as rail providers and terminals are accepting containers.
• For our import customers, we encourage you to expedite the readiness of your import documentation and customs clearance to facilitate the prompt retrieval of your cargo from the terminal before any potential work stoppage.
  • For our Carrier Haulage customers, please ensure compliance with the 5-day rule for your import cargo at U.S. Inland Terminals. More details on the 5-day rule can be found here.

You can also stay up-to-date with the latest news sent directly to your email inbox by subscribing here. Alternatively, please bookmark this page to stay up to date with the latest developments.

Should you require additional information, don't hesitate to contact our teams at your preferred location who will guide you based on your individual situation.