US port workers strike begins, first shutdown in 50 years
In the US, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) have walked out at 14 major ports along the East and Gulf coasts, as per reports, halting container traffic from Maine to Texas. The action marks the first such shutdown in almost 50 years. Time-sensitive imports, such as food, are likely to be among the goods first impacted. The ports involved handle about 14% of agricultural exports shipped by sea and more than half of imports, including a significant share of trade in bananas and chocolate, according to the Farm Bureau.
Some other sectors exposed to disruption include tin, tobacco and nicotine.
Clothing and footwear firms, and European carmakers, are also expected to take a hit. Imports in the US had surged over the summer, as many businesses took steps to rush shipments ahead of the strike, said a report.
Source: Exim News Service: New York, Oct. 2