The labour disruption in the US ports has severely affected the global shipping schedules ending in serious dislocation and disorder in trading and business. Many export shipments from India have not reached their destinations; instead, they are held midway in Colombo and Singapore ports. The nervous anxiety the company officials feel becomes all the more sharp and intense when the shipments are for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, which are just round the corner. An official of a shipping company with exports to the US said, preferring anonymity that some shipments meant for the US for Christmas and the New Year are still with them; he added: “Regular schedule has been affected and we need to do some catching up in the next few days”.The labour strike in the US ports was resolved on Tuesday; but, it is feared that the unrest could move to the east coast ports now.
Mr. Vijay Mahtaney, MD, Ambattur Clothing, said that there was a congestion problem at the ports causing delay for about 3 to 4 weeks in last-minute Christmas shipments. He also pointed out that some buyers, in order to avoid shipping disruptions and delays, “panicked and wanted urgent shipments for Christmas to be sent by air at their cost”.
The National Retail Federation of the US, the world’s largest federation for retailers of almost all types and sizes from the US and from more than 45 countries, said that the supply chain has been very severely damaged for quite some time because of the factors like the contract dispute at the East and Gulf Coast Ports, the Hurricane Sandy and the recent labour disruption at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
After rain comes fair weather. Let us hope it comes faster.
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