U.S. importers are already starting to reset their supply chains to avoid disruptions ahead of potentially contentious contract talks this summer between West Coast dockworkers and the companies that manage the flow of goods through ports.
Some shippers are pulling forward their holiday-season orders to get them into domestic networks early, logistics operators said, and many are diverting cargo that normally moves through the West Coast to East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. Shipping executives said that is helping spread congestion that has gripped California’s ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, underscoring the difficulty importers face in reconfiguring supply chains built around the dominant West Coast gateways.
