Last week, the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the employer group Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) issued a joint statement on the status of the contract negotiations saying both sides “remain hopeful of reaching a deal soon.”
The ILWU and PMA began negotiating the contract covering West Coast ports on May 10, 2022. During the past ten months, there has been continual attrition of cargo to the East and Gulf Coast ports. Cargo that originates in or is destined for West Coast locations. Cargo, like water, will find the course of least resistance, and it is finding a course that does not rely on the West Coast ports.
Our hope is that “soon” will not be too late to redirect cargo back to the West Coast.