News
The stalled contract talks between the International Longshoremen's Association （ILA） which covers 13 U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports and the United States Maritime Alliance （USMX） which represents waterfront management are raising the unsettling prospect of a port shutdown and prompting shipping lines to come up with a set of contingency plans to circumvent the adverse effect of a likely strike or lockout.
Maersk Line has announced that it will temporarily stop accepting mini-landbridge cargo via U.S. West Coast ports bound for eastern rail ramps including Newark, Atlanta, Baltimore and Norfolk and their neighboring areas.
In preparation for a strike or other equivalent actions, Orient Overseas Container Line （OOCL） would implement a congestion surcharge of $600 per TEU and $750 per FEU effective on and after September 15.
Nippon Yusen Kaisha （NYK）, subject to a strike or lockout next month, would impose a congestion surcharge of $1,000 per container moving through U.S., Canadian or Mexican ports and Yang Ming, COSCO Container Lines （COSCON） and Hanjin Shipping are also poised to introduce the surcharge of $1,000 per FEU, effective October 1, 2012.
The exiting master contract expires on September 30, 2012.
