The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) master contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expires on September 30, 2024. Although no coastwide disruption has occurred since 1977, opposition to increased port automation and demands for higher wages are major issues in the current negotiations. Should a strike occur, there may be significant implications on the ability to move goods domestically and internationally, impacting the U.S. economy and beyond.
Potential Impact of an International Longshoreman’s Strike
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This paper documents the findings of a study examining the potential impact of an ILA strike at the U.S. East and Gulf coast ports. The study finds the potential for substantial disruptions in the movement of container and roll-on/roll-off cargo impacting the local and national economy and supply chains. This is a quick-look study aimed at obtaining insightful estimations. A more detailed assessment would include accounting for active mitigation, seasonal impacts, inventory levels, and more-refined economic modeling to account for dynamic and interactive impacts of disruptions to industrial inputs.