{"id":2698,"date":"2014-05-21T15:29:16","date_gmt":"2014-05-21T20:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/supfrt.com\/news\/?p=2698"},"modified":"2014-05-21T15:29:16","modified_gmt":"2014-05-21T20:29:16","slug":"west-coast-port-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/supfrt.com\/news\/2014\/05\/21\/west-coast-port-status\/","title":{"rendered":"West Coast Port \/ Contract Negotiation Status"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"port<\/a>West Coast Port \/ Contract Negotiation Status<\/strong><\/p>\n

In April, shippers have accelerated import shipments through several U.S. ports\u00a0to avoid\u00a0disruption at the West Coast Ports due, in part, to the potential\u00a0‘slow down’ or strike of the ILWU.<\/p>\n

Shippers have already begun to accelerate shipments according to Wolfe Research. Their quarterly survey results indicate that fifty-one percent of respondents:<\/p>\n

\u201chave already, or plan to accelerate some ocean shipments in the second quarter ahead of a potential labor issue\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wolfe findings in the survey are~<\/p>\n

\u201cconsistent with very strong import volumes into the West Coast ports in April.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Two strategies that shippers are using: Accelerating shipments\u00a0AND diverting them away from the West Coast\u00a0prior to\u00a0the West Coast longshore labor negotiations,\u00a0their contract\u00a0expires at midnight on June 30.<\/p>\n

It looks like acceleration of shipments has already started. In April, import volumes increased over 11 percent at both the port of Los Angeles and the port of Long Beach.<\/p>\n

Other\u00a0U.S. ports reported\u00a0import volume growth in April (according to PIERS, the data division of JOC Group);<\/p>\n