October 1, 2024--Brewster, NY---As most of you may have heard, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has decided to strike against the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), closing ports from Boston to Miami along the Atlantic Coast and from Houston to Tampa on the Gulf Coast. The ILA labor agreement expired today (Tuesday) at 12:01 am, and container ship unloading was immediately halted. Ships carrying goods to these ports will have to wait it out, return home unloaded, or redirect to another port. Ports along the Pacific Coast are unaffected by this labor dispute and are not on strike.
Matco-Norca utilizes ports in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, and Houston, along with ports in California and Washington. As rumors circulated about a potential labor disruption along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, we began diverting containers to Western ports. This may stretch lead times with additional intermodal shipping, but we are confident that our supply sources will remain continuous with minimal interruptions.