As the threat of a port strike looms over the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, warnings from industry leaders, businesses, lawmakers, and others have grown louder, all echoing the same concern—potentially massive disruption to a significant portion of the nation’s trade, with billions of dollars in economic losses expected daily.
At the heart of the issue is a labor dispute between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), representing 45,000 dockworkers, and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which oversees port operations. With negotiations deadlocked and the ILA threatening to strike on Oct. 1 and close 36 ports that handle more than half of America’s ocean trade, the potential fallout could be far-reaching.
