Shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk has called on customers to retrieve their loaded containers and return empty ones at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports before January 15, in an effort to mitigate potential terminal disruptions due to a looming strike.
“The conditional agreement on wages is set to expire on January 15. If no agreement is reached by that date, a coast-wide strike on January 16 is possible,” Maersk stated in an advisory on its website. “There have been no new developments in the negotiations since our last update.”
A strike could disrupt billions of dollars in trade, exacerbate inflationary pressures, and threaten the stability of existing supply chains.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), a union representing over 45,000 workers, and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) had previously averted a prolonged strike in October by agreeing to a 62% wage increase over six years following a three-day work stoppage.
However, unresolved disagreements over automation and its role in the future of U.S. ports have reignited tensions. Negotiations on the matter appear stalled, with neither the ILA nor the USMX indicating plans to return to the bargaining table before mid-January.
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