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☆ Labor Deal at West Coast Ports Comes Into View
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The dockworkers’ union and port employers have been negotiating for almost a year on a contract covering more than 22,000 dockworkers at West Coast ports. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg NewsContract talks between unionized longshore workers and employers at West Coast ports appear to be headed into their final stretch following agreements on several major issues, potentially clearing the uncertainty that has been hanging over U.S. importers heading into their crucial fall selling season. Some shipping officials familiar with the talks hope a tentative agreement could be reached by June, ending a contentious period in port labor relations that prompted some of the country’s biggest retailers and manufacturers to shift goods away from the region to avoid possible disruptions.

☆ Where the trucking and rail recession is showing up in the economic data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The decrease negatively impacts earnings for both trucking and rail where revenue is generated by moving freight. Ocean freight orders are a leading indicator of train and trucking earnings since 90% of the world's trade moves by water. This is one of three key supply chain charts that are signaling more financial potholes for trucking and rail companies. West Coast ports have been losing trade to both the East Coast ports and Gulf ports as a result of prolonged labor negotiations, though union representatives indicated last week a "tentative agreement" had been reached, but no details were provided. Trucking is needed for both container pick up at the ocean terminals and rail ramps.

April 20 (Reuters) - Union Pacific Corp's (UNP.N) chief executive officer said on Thursday the railroad operator was considering slowing down the pace of hiring in the second half of the year amid a cloudy economic outlook, becoming the latest U.S. company to evaluate its staffing plans. CEO Lance Fritz told Reuters in an interview the outlook was turning a "little cloudier" for consumer-facing companies, which is making railroad volume difficult to predict. A possible slowdown in hiring comes at a time when railroads are struggling to move cargo on time, which has invited severe criticisms from regulators and customers. Shares of Union Pacific, which connects West Coast ports to key terminals such as Chicago, lost its gains in the day to trade flat in the afternoon session. Operating revenue for the quarter ended March 31 rose 3% to $6.06 billion, in line with analysts' estimates.

☆ Port Labor Disputes Raise New Fears Over U.S. Import Disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Port of Long Beach, Calif. Some dockworkers failed to show up for shifts at the complex on April 6 and into the next day. Flaring labor tensions at West Coast ports are sparking fears of growing work stoppages that would hobble the flow of goods through some of the country’s biggest trade gateways as importers prepare for the year’s busiest shipping season. Jonathan Gold , vice president for supply chain at the National Retail Federation, said importers are increasingly concerned about a series of targeted labor actions that have disrupted major ports while contract talks between employers and dockworkers approach the one-year mark with little sign of progress.

☆ West Coast port workers force closure of top U.S. shipping gateway - employer group
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 7 (Reuters) - A shortage of West Coast port workers has forced the busiest U.S. ocean trade gateway to shut on Friday, after months of strained labor negotiations between the dock workers union and their employers. "The action by the union has effectively shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," the PMA said in a statement. Port of Los Angeles officials were communicating with the ILWU and PMA, along with federal, state and local officials, to "support a return to normal operations," said the group, which is managed by a unit of the City of Los Angeles. A representative of the ILWU Local 13, which represents workers at both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, declined to comment. Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top U.S. shipping gateway mostly closes due to port worker shortage - employer group
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 7 (Reuters) - A shortage of West Coast port workers has forced the busiest U.S. ocean trade gateway to largely shut on Friday, after months of strained labor negotiations between the union dock workers and their employers. The PMA said the missing workers were a result of a coordinated action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to withhold labor as contract talks drag on. "The action by the union has effectively shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," the PMA said in a statement. Instead, the ILWU said the slowdown was due to thousands of union workers attending a monthly membership meeting on Thursday evening and observing the Good Friday holiday the following day. Port of Los Angeles officials were communicating with the ILWU and PMA, along with federal, state and local officials, to "support a return to normal operations," said the group, which is managed by a unit of the City of Los Angeles.

☆ Labor Tensions Rise in Stalled West Coast Port Contract Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Unionized dockworkers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have stopped staggering work shifts during mealtimes, leading to delays in cargo operations and backups of trucks at terminal gates. Tensions in long-running contract talks at West Coast ports are worsening, with employers accusing unionized dockworkers of slowing cargo handling at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s busiest gateway for imported consumer goods. The sharp rhetoric marks a break from a longstanding agreement to maintain public silence on the negotiations, which began last spring. The two sides appear to be no closer to bridging the gap on their disagreements, pointing to the possibility of deeper disruptions to U.S. trade flows.

☆ U.S. East Coast Port Workers Begin Early Contract Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers, in September asked its locals to open talks with regional employer groups, said James McNamara, an ILA spokesman. A spokesman for the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents carriers and terminal operators on the West Coast, declined to comment. The Port of Houston and Georgia’s Port of Savannah have also benefited from freight diversions away from the West Coast. The West Coast labor talks have significant hurdles to overcome once the two sides resolve their regional disagreements, according to shipping industry officials. Shipping industry officials say the talks covering Gulf Coast and East Coast ports face fewer stumbling blocks.

☆ Port of New York shatters trade record, but latest shipping data hints at California comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Containers sit at the GCT New York container terminal on Staten Island on October 20, 2022, in New York City. The Port of Long Beach moved 9.13 million TEUs last year. "These 9.5 million TEUs is more than 27% of 2019 levels," said Bethann Rooney, port director of the Port of New York and New Jersey. "This is not sustainable if we are going to handle 14 million TEUs in the not too distant future," she said. If they have stability on the West Coast, it doesn't really make sense to spend the extra two weeks crossing to go to the East Coast.

☆ Union Pacific posts weak profit as storm delays shipments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N) reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, hurt by delayed shipments amid labor shortages and a winter storm that crippled freight operations across the United States. Union Pacific, which connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, suffered shipment delays over the Christmas period as the winter storm Elliott hit its railroad networks. The storm brought sub-freezing temperatures and impacted business operations nationwide, also causing freeze-ins at several oil production sites. Union Pacific's operating ratio, a key profitability metric for railroads, was 61% in the quarter compared with 57.4% a year earlier. "Revenue growth was more than offset by elevated operating expenses from operational inefficiencies and a higher inflationary environment," Fritz said.

☆ U.S. imports of containerized goods retreat to pre-pandemic level
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. imports of goods in ocean shipping containers in December fell to levels approaching those last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report said on Tuesday. December 2022 U.S. container import volume topped 1.9 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), according to Descartes Systems Group. Then, the pandemic spawned an unexpected container cargo surge that overwhelmed seaports and upended global supply chains. Despite the sharp volume downturn in December, 2022 is shaping to be the second-busiest year after 2021 for U.S. container imports. Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Some supply chain managers are wary of shifting trade back to West Coast ports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mario Tama | Getty ImagesNearly a third of logistics managers at major companies and trade groups say they do not know how much trade they would return to the West Coast once an International Longshore and Warehouse Union, or ILWU, labor deal is reached, according to CNBC's supply chain survey. Of those surveyed, 49% said they did not divert trade, compared to 40% who said they did. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwardsOver half of those respondents told CNBC the main reason for moving trade away from the West Coast was the threat of an ILWU strike. About 40% cited both California's AB5 "gig worker" law, which concerns the employment status of drivers, and rail delays. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwardsNegotiations between the ILWU and their employer, the Pacific Maritime Association, have been ongoing since May 10.

☆ Jim Cramer says he likes these 3 industrial stocks heading into 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday identified three industrial stocks that he believes are worth owning next year, saying he expects them to outperform the sector's top performers in 2022. The best-performing industrial stocks in the S&P 500 so far this year have been Northrop Grumman , Lockheed Martin and Deere — up 36.9%, 35.6% and 25.7%, respectively. Looking ahead, though, Cramer said he'd prefer to own the likes of Caterpillar , Illinois Tool Works and railroad operator CSX . Illinois Tool Works shares are down more than 12% in 2022 because fears of an economic slowdown have trumped the company's actual results, Cramer contended. Transports such as CSX — down nearly 16% year to date — are "totally hated" on Wall Street, Cramer acknowledged.

☆ U.S. Container Imports Are Plummeting to Close the Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Big U.S. ports are reporting steep declines in inbound container volumes for November, signaling a downturn in goods imports is accelerating and adding to concerns over a deeper slowdown in 2023. The ports also handled about 98,000 fewer inbound boxes last month than in November 2019 and imports have been below prepandemic levels since September. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the U.S. is seeing a slowing of imports. They also diverted goods to Gulf Coast and East Coast ports due to fears of a work slowdown as West Coast dockworkers negotiate a new multiyear labor agreement. The downturn is reaching East Coast ports, which have seen relatively strong trade as companies shipped around California’s congested gateways.

☆ East Coast ports including New York are winning a domestic trade war at the expense of California
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

According to ITS Logistics which monitors rail cargo trends, the volume of freight moving out of the East Coast doubles that of the West Coast. East Coast ports making major investments East Coast ports like Georgia, Virginia and Maryland have been increasing their investment to accommodate the increase in rail capacity. "CSX continues to see the East Coast ports as a growth opportunity as volumes shift from congested West coast gateways," said Cindy Schild, CSX spokesperson. West Coast port declinewatch nowCargo volumes on the West Coast remained soft at the Port of Los Angeles in November, which saw a 21% decrease year over year in volumes. While the East Coast gains are significant, there was a "leveling" off of imports detected on the East Coast in November, according to port TEU data from the CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map.

☆ California Long Ruled U.S. Shipping. Importers Are Drifting East.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Paul Berger | Photographs David Walter Banks For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +13 min

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is moving more merchandise through New York and New Jersey to avoid West Coast bottlenecks. It trailed its East Coast rival again in that measure during September and October, according to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and ports data. ”There are so many customers that got so screwed because they were entirely reliant on L.A. and Long Beach.”The logistical challenges of spreading imports along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast are massive. The shift in trade to the East Coast marks a return to where container ships originated. Then the U.S. began importing more goods from Europe, making an Atlantic Ocean crossing to various East Coast ports more critical.

☆ The busiest port in America is no longer on the West Coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Since August, imports into the two major West Coast ports – Los Angeles and Long Beach – have declined. That cargo is now flowing into Gulf Coast ports like Savannah and New Orleans, and East Coast ports in New York and New Jersey. Around 20,000 dockworkers at West Coast ports, including Los Angeles and Long Beach, have been working without a contract since July 1. The jam at the West Coast ports delayed Americans getting goods and sent prices higher as demand outpaced supply. But until the labor dispute is resolved on the West Coast, it will be a challenge to lure importers back.

☆ Manufacturing orders from China down 40% in unrelenting demand collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. manufacturing orders in China are down 40 percent, according to the latest CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map data. HLS expects most carriers to extend their West Coast rates until December 14, holding at $1,300-$1,400 per forty-foot equivalent containers (FEU). The 2M Alliance of Maersk and MSC has suspended almost half of its U.S. West Coast services for December. is also impacting Vietnam, which has been booming as a manufacturing hub as more trade moved away from China. Canceled ocean sailings bound for Vietnam are up 50% for December.

☆ Southern California’s Container Ship Backup Ends
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

It is “time to move into a different phase of operations and declare that the backup has ended,“ Mr. Louttit said. The backup rippled through supply chains, causing monthslong delays in deliveries of furniture, electronics and clothing, and helped push ocean shipping prices to record levels. Many importers have also diverted goods away from West Coast ports. Disputes between dockworkers and their employers during previous labor talks on the West Coast have led to significant shipping delays. The diversions triggered backups at Gulf Coast and East Coast ports.

☆ U.S.-Europe Trade Booms as Old Allies Draw Closer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Tom Fairless | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

As trans-Atlantic trade booms, container volumes at West Coast ports like Los Angeles have been surpassed by surging volumes on the East Coast. FRANKFURT—The global economic map is rapidly transforming, with trade and investment between the U.S. and Europe booming as Russia’s war in Ukraine and fraying ties between the West and China draw the trans-Atlantic allies closer. The U.S. has imported more goods from Europe than from China this year, a big shift from the 2010s when China emerged as America’s dominant trade partner. From Swiss watches to German machinery and Italian luxury items, money and products are flooding across the Atlantic as never before. And it is pushing East Coast ports ahead of their West Coast counterparts in container volumes after years of a U.S. pivot to Asia.

☆ New York continues streak as nation's No. 1 port as LA cargo volume hits level not seen since 2009
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Earlier this week, the Port of Los Angeles posted its lowest level of October since 2009. "Firstly, shippers are still avoiding the West Coast to mitigate the risk of labor strikes at LA and Long Beach. According to Project44 data, total vessel TEU capacity deployed from Europe to the East Coast is up 15.5% compared to Oct 2021. CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map providers warned in the summer and fall of a decrease in manufacturing orders which has impacted the volume of shipping. The lesser container volumes are now being seen off the ports across the East Coast, including New York and New Jersey.

☆ Imports Into Southern California’s Ports Plunged 26% in October
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Imports into the nation’s busiest container port complex in Southern California are plummeting as U.S. trade sputters and retailers and manufacturers shift their supply chains amid increasingly contentious West Coast port labor negotiations. Importers have said they are avoiding West Coast ports because previous contract talks have turned contentious and led to cargo slowdowns. Over the past few months, several West Coast ports have experienced sporadic work disruptions, although port officials say overall container movements remain steady. The declines are a contrast to East Coast ports that continue to see strong cargo volumes. That has also contributed to the recent decline in cargo volumes during what is normally a peak season for ocean shipping.

☆ Union vs. Union Dispute Stalls West Coast Port Labor Talks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

A dispute between two unions over which workers get certain jobs at a cargo-handling terminal at the Port of Seattle is holding up labor talks between West Coast dockworkers and their employers. West Coast port labor talks are often fraught. Importers are already diverting some goods to Gulf Coast and East Coast ports because of the risk of labor strife. The port talks are taking place against a backdrop of global freight labor unrest. West Coast dockworkers have been working without a contract since the most recent labor agreement expired in early July.

☆ Union Pacific cuts volume growth forecast as worker shortage weighs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Union Pacific rail car is parked at a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train yard in Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenOct 20 (Reuters) - Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N) on Thursday cut its annual volume growth forecast despite a rise in third-quarter shipments, as the U.S. railroad operator struggles with worker shortages. "Inflationary pressures and operational inefficiencies continued to challenge us," Union Pacific Chief Executive Officer Lance Fritz said in a statement. The company trimmed its forecast for full-year volume growth to about 3% from 4%-5%, even after a 3% rise in the third quarter led by higher coal and renewables shipments. Excluding a $114 million charge from the tentative labor deal, the company posted a net income of $3.19 per share, ahead of Refinitiv IBES estimates of $3.06 per share.

☆ Big decline in warehouse shipments is latest sign of the consumer pullback
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A big decline in warehouse orders leaving storage and heading to retailers is another signal of the pullback in consumer demand. According to the latest data from WarehouseQuote, outbound orders from customers shipping to retailers is down by one-third (-33%) year over year. Jordan Brunk, CMO of WarehouseQuote, said with fewer products being moved out of warehouses to go into stores there will be less warehouse space available for incoming orders. Year over year the West Coast has seen higher pricing for third-party logistics warehousing, but more recently (Q3 vs. Q2 2022), pricing has decreased, Brunk said, while the East Coast continues to see a rapid increase in pricing as more overseas trade is routed for East Coast ports to avoid West Coast port labor issues.

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