b'2American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comTop US container portsTOP 20 CONTAINERPORTS 2025post gains in 24 The top US container ports posted gains in 2024 but 2025 might be different.By George Lauriat, AJOTD oDging aB ullet andCEOSteveLamar,said On September 30th, 2024,in a release, The rising costs the contract between the Inter- fromreroutingvesselsare nationalLongshoremensunsustainable, and the impact Association (ILA) which pro- onAmericanindustriesis vides labor to the ocean ter- severeAmerican consumers minal to the East Coast andand businesses cannot afford GulfportsandtheUnitedfurther delays or disruptions. StatesMaritimeAllianceThe stakes are too high, and (USMX), representing water- immediate action is needed to frontemployers,expired,protectourindustries,work-triggeringathree-daylongers, and the global economy. strike.Afterbargaining,theThe downside to the prep-two sides agreed to continuearation for a work stoppage is withtheexistingcontractthat inventories are again high until January 15th.whichwillinfluencecargo Althoughthetwosides(GAINScontinued on reportedlyhadhammeredoutpage 4) The Port of Savannahs Garden City Terminal gets cargo moving from vessel to departing rail in about a day.manyaspectsoftheMaster Contract,terminalautoma-tion remained a sticking point, andshipperswerewarnedto expect a work stoppage and to make the appropriate adjust-ments to their shipments. But both sides renewed formal talks on January 7th and a day later announced in a joint statement, Wearepleasedtoannounce thatILAandUSMXhave reachedatentativeagreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to rati-fication, thus averting any work stoppage on January 15, 2025. Thestatementadded, This agreement protects cur-rent ILA jobs and establishes a framework for implement-ingtechnologiesthatwill create more jobs while mod-ernizing East and Gulf coast portsmakingthemsafer andmoreefficientandcre-ating the capacity they need tokeepoursupplychains strong.Thisisawin-win agreementthatcreatesILA jobs, supports American con-sumersandbusinesses,and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global mar-ketplace. Next is a vote by therank-and-fileILAmem-bership on the new deal.The importance of the new ILA deal to the US supply chain is massive. ILA ports cover 13 of the 20 largest container ports intheUS.Thisiswithout including the Canadian ports of Montreal and Halifax that are also ILA ports.Intheperiodleadingup totheJanuaryagreement, shippers had front-end loaded their shipments and used alter-native entry ports on the West Coasttoavoidhavingtheir freighttiedupinapotential work stoppage with the Chi-nese New Year just around the corner and the Houthis attacks in the Red Sea forcing the re-routingofships.So,another disruptionwouldthrowa massivespannerintothe alreadystrainedworkingsof the supply chain. As American Apparel & Footwear president'