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Alert Categories: Transportation/Logistics

US Authorities Closing Mexico Bridges Due to Immigration, Also Impacting Rail Freight

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 […]

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UPDATE: Suez Attacks Delaying Cargo Shipments and Causing Shippers to Re-route Cargo

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 […]

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Suez Attacks Delaying Cargo Shipments and Causing Shippers to Re-route Cargo

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 […]

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Carriers Rerouting Ships Away from Red and Arabian Seas

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 […]

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Update on the ILWU Strikes in Canada (July 20th)

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 […]

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The ILWU Strikes in British Columbia Resume!

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 […]

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Canadian West Coast Port Strikes End with Tentative 4-Year-Deal

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 […]

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Vancouver/Prince Rupert ILWU Strike Action to Begin July 1st

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 […]

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PMA and ILWU Officials Reach Tentative West Coast Agreement

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 […]

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Several West Coast Ports Closed Due to ILWU Negotiations

Several West Coast ports were closed without notice on Friday, June 2 in response to ongoing wage disputes between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). Additionally, Total Terminals International (TTI) has cancelled all gates today (Monday, June 5). At this time, this is a fluid situation, and it […]

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Operational Delays Expected at Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach

An insufficient number of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 13 crane operators and top handler drivers reported for work at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as of 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Any ILWU workers that did report for their shift as scheduled were […]

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Biden Signs Legislation to Prevent Massive US Rail Strike

Today, President Joe Biden signed legislation—originally approved in Congress earlier this week—to prevent a massive rail strike from devastating the US economy. The bill passed in the House (290-137) on Wednesday (November 30); and was approved by the Senate (80-15) on Thursday. Biden had been urging lawmakers to pass the bill after railway workers announced […]

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US Rail Strike Update: November 30, 2022

The New York Times has reported that on Tuesday, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress have vowed to intervene to prevent a US rail strike. President Biden went as far as pushing Congress to impose the latest negotiated deal for the four unions rejecting the current offer; eight of the 12 unions representing 115,000 rail workers […]

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US Prepares for Possible Rail Strikes Amid Ongoing Negotiations

Shapiro has received multiple reports that US rail workers from two of the biggest labor unions are preparing to strike once the cooling off period expires this Friday, September 16—which may cause significant delays and disruptions for US supply chains. Although Biden issued an Executive Order in July to establish the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), […]

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UK Ports Expect Significant Delays Ahead of Worker Strikes

Shapiro has received multiple reports that workers at two of the busiest container ports in the United Kingdom (UK)—Felixstowe and Liverpool—have voted to strike as a result of ongoing wage disputes, which will likely cause delays and disruptions for UK supply chains. Beginning Sunday, August 21st, approximately 1,900 workers at the Port of Felixstowe will […]

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LA/LB Truckers Plan Work Stoppage to Protest AB5

Shapiro has received multiple reports that a group of truckers responsible for moving containers in and out of the marine terminals at the Los Angeles and Long Beach (LA/LB) ports is participating in a work stoppage today (Wednesday, July 13) in protest of a controversial California state law, AB5. Owner operators are protesting outside the […]

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Bangladesh Shipping Container Facility Battles Deadly Fire

Over the weekend, a deadly fire erupted at the BM Container Depot in southeastern Bangladesh, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than 300 others. The shipping container facility is in Sitakunda, near the port city of Chittagong. The cause of the fire is still unknown; however, officials believe that the facility became engulfed […]

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Shanghai to Shut Down for City-Wide COVID Testing

Update as of 4/4/22: The lockdown in Shanghai has been extended indefinitely as results of the city-wide COVID testing are still being reviewed, leaving Chinese supply chains in a state of uncertainty. The lockdown in Shanghai Pudong was initially set for March 28th – April 1st, with Shanghai Puxi following from April 1st – 5th. […]

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Shapiro Will Suspend Services for Cargo Routed Through Russia, Belarus and the Donetsk/Luhansk/Crimea Regions of Ukraine

With consideration to the recent horrific developments between Russia and Ukraine, the advice from the government, and the newly imposed sanctions, Shapiro has elected to suspend handling brokerage and forwarding services for all goods originating or shipping to/from Russia, Belarus, and the Donetsk/Luhansk/Crimea regions of Ukraine. For imports, this change will be effective for shipments […]

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China Fights Omicron Outbreak with New Lockdown Restrictions

China is currently facing its largest COVID outbreak since the pandemic initially broke out in 2020. Despite its success combating the virus with a “zero-tolerance” policy thus far, the Chinese government has been unable to contain the highly contagious Omicron variant sweeping across the country in recent weeks. In response to the rapid spike in […]

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