West Coast customers in particular will want to note that truckers who pick up from the Port of Oakland are on strike, in protest of California’s AB5, and the Port of Oakland has shut down operations at all of its terminals.
We’re told that members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have now also joined the protest, citing health and safety concerns and the fact that they’ve been working without a contract.
Where we could see the greatest disruptions are at the ports where striking drivers would not be picking up containers, which would, among other things, deepen the container backlog and subject tens of thousands of more containers to demurrage fees. There is no reason to believe we will see a significant disruption in the delivery side of the business, but terminal operations will be significantly impacted should a strike come to pass.
Continental Terminals Annex says it continues to do everything it can to retrieve and return containers for customers.
InterAmerican has asked the warehouse to prioritize our coffee once the strike is lifted. It’s difficult to say once again, but please expect delays. If you have concerns, please contact your trader about alternate options. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding and hope all parties will soon reach agreeable terms. •
