There appears to be substantial cargo diversion away from US west coast ports as the longshoremen's labour contract expires on June 30, prompting shippers to fear the disruption of union militants to pressure employers, according to Shipping Gazette.
But space on ships heading to Canadian ports was in short supply as shippers looked for alternatives to US west coast ports, said one forwarder.
In recognition of this US Customs issued contingency plans, reported America Shipper, adding that it supplies public notices via its website and through SMS messaging for subscribers for alerts.
One customs message provided instructions for shippers on how to file customs and other import documents for various scenarios in which ships are diverted to foreign ports, such as in Canada or Mexico, or east coast or Gulf ports.
"Several carriers are reporting that as much as 40 per cent of US inland traffic typically moving via Seattle or Los Angeles/Long Beach has been diverted to Vancouver and Prince Rupert," said a spokesman for the forwarders Delmar.
"There have also been widespread container shortages throughout Asian load ports, further compounding capacity constraints," he said.
"Overseas vendors and agents must be reminded to plan for vessel capacity well in advance and recommend that bookings be placed with origin Delmar offices a minimum of 14 days prior to origin vessel closing time," said Delmar notice to trade.
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