A labor strike has shut down key ports on Canada’s West Coast, including Vancouver and Prince Rupert, impacting $800 million in daily trade flows. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foreman Local 514 initiated the strike after failed negotiations, halting container movement through these major Canadian ports. About 20% of U.S. trade […]

Due to the current ILA strike, Shapiro will be providing daily morning updates with the latest developments until significant changes arise. We are also closely tracking carrier updates and shipment notices, which can be accessed below. UPDATE: FRIDAY, 10/4 The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have tentatively agreed on […]

The contract for the International Longshoreman Association (ILA) expires on September 30, 2024. While we cannot predict the future, we want to ensure that you are prepared for the possibility of a work stoppage or strike. We outline below some outcomes to consider should this event transpire: Please also note that the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) […]

Effective September 3rd, the CBP has announced enhanced Air Cargo Advanced Screening (ACAS) security filing requirements on air shipments from other countries arriving to, or transiting through, the U.S. The new guidelines have been published in an attempt to better identify the parties involved in the air cargo supply chain prior to cargo being loaded […]

After entering an official lockout yesterday, Canada rail operations are expected to resume after the Canadian Government ordered the CPKC and CN to enter binding arbitration. The action came 16 hours after Teamsters’ workers were locked out over the labor agreement impasse. CPKC has not released an official statement, but CN said it would resume […]

As we alluded to in our Flash yesterday, today the Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) initiated a lockout of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), impacting approximately 9,000 workers, including conductors and engineers. There has been no indication of when a resolution might be reached or how long the lockout could […]

This week, both Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC) and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) released statements announcing negotiations are far from over. The railroad is declining all intermodal traffic from the U.S. destined for all points in Canada. The Canadian Board has already determined that the stoppages will be allowed to proceed so this […]

It is with a big smile that we share this announcement about the full opening of the Fort McHenry Federal Channel into the Port of Baltimore. As most of you know, Baltimore is back on the booking menu at origin, and we are so happy for the port and for our region! Please click here […]

Baltimore – Trapped Shipping Vessel is Freed! The container ship that was trapped under the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge was successfully freed yesterday. Salvage teams employed multiple explosive charges to disentangle the bridge debris from the trapped vessel. The alternative channel has been established and has since moved 365 commercial vessels to and from […]

We are excited to share that Baltimore officials have announced the opening of a new 35-foot-deep channel at the city’s port, starting today. This development is part of ongoing efforts to restore operations after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month. The channel will accommodate “commercially essential vessels,” including five of the […]

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed when a cargo vessel lost power and rammed into a support pile early this morning. Multiple vehicles were caught in the crash and the missing number of people are estimated between 7 and 20. Several have been rescued but many remain missing. The FBI is actively investigating […]

Two key Mexico (MX) rail gateways have been shut down in Texas, causing cross-border freight to stack up. These bridges have been closed by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) due to illegal immigration concerns, citing evidence that freighters are being used to transport immigrants into the United States. The border crossings currently impacted are […]

All major steamship lines have announced re-routings to avoid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Thus, many US-bound vessels will not be able to transit the Suez Canal and will be routed via the Cape of Good Hope around the African continent. While most announcements include mentions of a 10-14-day delays, we’d like to highlight some […]

The Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia group, recently announced their intention to target commercial ships in retaliation for Israel’s actions in Gaza. These mounting attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea are disrupting trade through the Suez Canal with several vessels being attacked over the weekend, leaving no choice but to turn around and retreat […]

Groups like the Iran-backed Houthi movement continue to escalate attacks near the Suez Canal, recently firing two missiles at the USS Mason. This is rumored to have occurred after the USS Mason helped free a hijacked cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. Due to these attacks, several carriers have announced they are rerouting cargo […]

After resuming strikes in British Columbia yesterday, ILWU workers are once again back at work today (July 20th) after a ruling from the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered dockworkers back for failing to provide a 72-hour strike notice. The ILWU is expected to resume its strike on Saturday, July 22nd. Shapiro will continue to monitor […]

Last week, Canada’s Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan, and Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, issued a joint statement advising that the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) had accepted a joint deal with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). However, the leadership of the ILWU has now suggested that their members vote the recommended terms down. The leadership cited […]

Dock workers at ports along the Pacific Coast of Canada have accepted a tentative wage deal on Thursday, July 13th to end strikes at the country’s busiest ports. This news comes after The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) released a statement about the agreement earlier today.   The strike primarily affected the Port of Vancouver […]

The Canadian International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has given notice for a strike to commence at 8am on July 1, 2023. Negotiations between ownership, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), and the ILWU are being moderated by Canada’s Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), but it remains unclear if any early progress has […]

Last night, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) revealed they had finally reached a tentative contract agreement after 13 long months of tumultuous and turbulent negotiations. According to the announcement, both sides have informally agreed to a six-year contract that covers all 29 West Coast ports. Although the […]