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ARTICLE · 07 OCTOBER 2024

Port Strike Insight: Planning And Perspective Help Shippers Avoid The Panic Button

AlixPartners Asia LLC
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Dockworkers at dozens of U.S. ports are now on strike, walking off the job as they petition for significant pay increases. The work stoppage affects ports from New England to Texas.

GlobalTransport
Esben Christensen
Esben Christensen
Marc Iampieri
Marc Iampieri
Erik Mattson
Erik Mattson
John Samuel
John Samuel
Andrew Hogenson
Andrew Hogenson
Brian Nemeth
Brian Nemeth
Luiz Gosling
Luiz Gosling
Author LinkedIn connections

Dockworkers at dozens of U.S. ports are now on strike, walking off the job as they petition for significant pay increases. The work stoppage affects ports from New England to Texas. If prolonged, it could potentially disrupt supply chains and constrict inventories.

Disruptions like this are business as usual for shippers, many of which took seriously the threat of the International Longshoremen's Association's (ILA) first multi-coast strike since 1977. Retailers and industrials, anticipating volatility, started to place orders early and started changing their routing several months ago. This was an essential action for those pre/repositioning for the upcoming holiday peak.

AlixPartners recently laid out this blueprint for a response that is effective regardless of the strike's duration. It included:

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