Port Strike to End as ILA and USXM Reach Agreement 

October 03, 2024

Current Status

According to a joint press statement, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USXM) have reached a tentative agreement and will be resuming normal activities. The two parties have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. All strike actions will cease, and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume effective immediately. 

Even with a short duration strike, there are already significant impacts to shipping and the wider logistical infrastructure. As of most recent count, there are at least 38 container vessels backed up across the impacted ports. Based on our conversations with the Department of Commerce, we estimate that the backlog will take between 15 and 21 days to resolve across all modes of delivery. 

SOCMA Activity 

  • SOCMA participated in a roundtable discussion with Assistant Secretary of Commerce Grant Harris and his staff. In addition to SOCMA staff, members were represented by Phillip McCarter of Nation Ford Chemical and Adam Pingel of Monument Chemical. The Assistant Secretary and his team expressed their appreciation for the specific insights and examples they were able to share.  
  • SOCMA met with Speaker Mike Johnson’s policy team to discuss the impacts of the strike on the specialty chemical industry. The Speaker and his team have been actively engaging with the Administration and expressed appreciation for the up-to-date information to better understand challenges as the strike progressed. 

Media 

SOCMA was quoted in the following stories: 

Next Steps 

Although the strike has ended, ports are still experiencing delays, impacting the flow of goods. SOCMA remains committed to serving as a vital link between the industry and the government as the supply chain recovers. To address these ongoing challenges, SOCMA will continue to proactively convene its Trade, Tax, and Supply Chain Committee to discuss any ongoing challenges and progress towards recovery and to provide members with crucial information on regulations governing port fees incurred during the strike. 

To join the committee and obtain regular updates, reply to this email or attend the SOCMA Summit to discuss issues in person with Genevieve Strand.

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