Apparel Importers Urge Quick Resolution of Longshoremen Dispute
The feud between longshoremen and their employers is making companies that import through the East and Gulf Costs “very nervous,” several trade groups said Sept. 4. The American Apparel and Footwear Association, Travel Goods Association, Gemini Shippers Association and Fashion…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Accessories Shippers Association urged U.S. Maritime Alliance Chairman James Capo and International Longshoremen's Association President Harold Daggett to get back to the negotiating table to work out a suitable contract and avoid work stoppages and slowdowns “as we enter the busy holiday preseason.” There is a “pressing need” for products to arrive on time at their destinations to prevent costly chargebacks from retailers and to meet consumer demand, they said. The “back-and-forth press releases” between the two sides, and the recent news that a vote to strike on the contract end data has already taken place in at least one major port, have combined to make importers anxious, they said. Importers are considering contingency plans to take their products through more reliable ports, including in Canada, or via entirely different transportation media altogether, they said. Companies need to make such shipping decisions now and can't risk the chance that shipments will be held up at the affected ports if an agreement doesn't come by Sept. 30, they said.