By Laura Curtis | BloombergÂ
Normal operations resumed at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as dockworkers returned to container terminals for the Friday evening shift.
“It’s a go,” said Alan McCorkle, chief executive officer of Yusen Terminals LLC at the Port of Los Angeles. “Labor is showing up.”
Worker shortages shuttered container terminals on Thursday evening and Friday morning. The impact of the closures on cargo flow was limited due to low volumes, though one container ship scheduled to go to a berth today was delayed and loitering offshore, according to Kip Louttit, executive director at the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which monitors traffic at the two West Coast ports.
Earlier, Louttit advised ocean carriers to work with destination terminals “to determine if your ship has a reasonable expectation to go to a berth in the next three days.”
The largest container gateway into the US were closed most of Friday as a shortage of dockworker labor that halted operations Thursday evening goes into a second day.
“ILWU Local 13 withheld labor again for this morning’s shift. The action by the union has effectively shut down the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” the Pacific Maritime Association said in a statement.
The terminal closures came as cargo volumes have dropped sharply at the Southern California ports from peak levels a year ago. The threat of delays during contract talks has spurred retailers, manufacturers and other importers to avoid potential shipping snarls by diverting goods to the East and Gulf coasts.
Still, an extended shutdown could disrupt supply chains. The National Retail Federation said it renewed a call to the White House to engage in labor negotiations and prevent disruptions to cargo flows in a statement Friday.
“The West Coast ports, especially those in Los Angeles and Long Beach, are a pivotal entry point to the US that allow American consumers access to global products and essential…
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