US cargo volumes back to normal levels

US container ports have reported that cargo volumes have returned to normal levels ahead of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s (ILWU) vote on a new West Coast labour agreement.

Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy, said: “Dockworkers and management made a massive push to clear the backlog of cargo over the past several weeks and West Coast ports are getting back to normal despite concerns such as the Teamster picketing seen in Los Angeles and Long Beach earlier this month,”

“We hope to see this month’s ratification vote go smoothly and then settle into a long period of efficient, dependable operations before we have to think about contract talks again. But there are still plenty of other issues impacting congestion that the ports need to work through.”