Trendwatch: Air Canada avoids damaging strike with four-year pilot agreement; Employers: Still time for East Coast port deal; Port of Long Beach ready for potential East Coast strike cargo diversions

Air Canada avoids damaging strike with four-year pilot agreement

Air Canada today said it has reached a tentative, four-year collective agreement with the Air Line Pilots  Air Canada has narrowly avoided a damaging strike, following a “tentative” four-year agreement with more than 5,200 pilots. 

The airline, which had warned of likely disruption to cargo services, said it had made a collective agreement with the Air Line Pilots’ Association (ALPA), for four years.

The agreement needs to be ratified by union members, expected to be completed over the next month, and approved by Air Canada’s board of directors. 

Employers: Still time for East Coast port deal

Facing a dire countdown to the first dock strike in decades, employers at East and Gulf Coast ports say a new contract is still within reach, and publicly called for the International Longshoremen’s Association to return to contract talks.

“There has been no further progress on Master Contract negotiations – we remain committed to the bargaining process and need the ILA to return to the table,” the United States Maritime Exchange (USMX) said in a brief statement Friday.

The ILA, with the current contract set to expire Sept. 30, has set a strike deadline of Oct. 1. Officials on both sides have been reluctant to comment, and it’s unclear when the two sides last met for a formal bargaining session.

Port of Long Beach ready for potential East Coast strike cargo diversions

The Port of Long Beach saw cargo volumes rise 34% in August and is prepared to handle additional capacity if needed, port executives said during a Thursday press conference.

“We are handling just as much cargo as we did in 2021 and 2022 but without any of the backlogs, delays or congestion that characterized the pandemic-induced supply chain crisis,” Hacegaba said at the press conference.

Total cargo volumes processed at the port reached 913,873 total TEUs as retailers moved cargo ahead of tariff increases and potential labor strife at East and Gulf Coast ports.

Red Sea effects depleted

Disruption in global supply chains through the knock-on effects of the Red Sea diversions is diminishing as supply and demand becomes more balanced and the initial bunching of services, which caused port congestion, has eased significantly, according to Drewry Shipping Consultants.

An early peak season in both the Asia to US and European trades saw shippers prepare for what was feared would be a repeat of the Covid congestion era disruptions. Ηowever, massive newbuilding deliveries have eased the pressure, with a significant orderbook still in process.

Typhoon Bebinca shuts down port operations in Shanghai and Ningbo

Departures from Shanghai’s container terminals are likely to be erratic following typhoon Bebinca causing serious vessel bunching that could also lead to serious disruption to vessel schedules at destination ports.

Bebinca is the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since 1949, and ships that moved away from the port in anticipation of the storm will return over the coming days, resulting in vessel bunching that is expected to cause delays lasting over a week.

Logistics UK welcomes postponement of fresh produce border checks

The UK government has delayed the introduction of border checks on produce brought into the country from the European Union (EU) for a third time.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said yesterday that it had extended the easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imported from the EU from January 2025 to July 1 2025.

Box lines eye China-Chittagong route as Bangladesh-India relations sour

Following a low in political relations between Bangladesh and India – after the ousting of the former’s government last month –shipping lines have stepped in to offer new routes and capacity out of China. 

Pacific International Lines (PIL) has launched a direct service from China to Chittagong, the first vessel arriving in Bangladesh today. 

The China Chittagong Express, offered by a consortium, will be a weekly service, taking eight days rather than the 20 to 22 needed for ships going to regional hub ports, such as Singapore and Port Klang. 

Positive trends on key trade routes drive global export growth

Container News conducted an analysis to reveal maritime trade trends in key maritime routes, highlighting the growing importance of the Far East in global shipping.

According to Alphaliner data and various industry sources, the Far East–Europe and Transpacific trade routes have seen significant growth from 2020 to 2024, pointing to the emergence of East Asia as a pivotal region for the global shipping industry.