The Shipowners Association of the Dominican Republic (ANRD) warned this Sunday about the possible impacts on the country’s trade of a strike general announced in the United States by the union of port workers of North America due to a lack of agreements with United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents shipping line and port employers.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the largest union in port workers in North America, called strikewhich is scheduled to begin next Tuesday, October 1, if they do not reach an agreement on a salary increase.
In that sense, the president of the Shipping Association of the Dominican Republic (ANRD), jaak Rannikpointed out that they could be presented major disruptionsdue to the possible general congestion and the domino effect in the logistics chain, when cargo from any origin in the world tries to access the American market through the limited number of ports that will be able to continue operating.
An important part of the cargo between both countries moves through American ports where the ILA has a relatively low incidence, which is a mitigating factor in terms of the magnitude of impact expected for the Dominican Republic, indicated Rannik in a press release.
The ILA represents more than 65,000 members on the east coast of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The Shipowners Association recommended to the importers and exporters in the Dominican Republic to communicate as soon as possible with their logistics service providersin order to confirm possible alternative plans for your supply chains.
The entity has established a equipment of monitoring who will closely follow the development of these events.
“It is crucial to maintain open lines of communication with the authorities and the private sector, with the aim of activating contingency plans, in case this potential strike spread,” he concluded Rannik.
