A second East and Gulf Coast port strike was averted when the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) struck a deal on a new contract last week. Although the strike was avoided, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the experience.
Even without a port strike, supply chain risks stemming from a variety of other sources will persist throughout this year. An early Lunar New Year, ongoing turmoil in the Red Sea, talks of new tariffs, the risk of severe weather events, and the reshuffling of major ocean carrier alliances all have the potential to disrupt vessel schedules and shipments.
To navigate these volatile times, here are three lessons learned from the averted U.S. port strike and the strike in October 2024, that may help shippers more proactively plan for and respond to future disruptions.
