West Coast port industry issue is solved

Lately the West Coast and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) have been at odds with one another. Because of ongoing suspension of vessel loading and unloading on West Coast ports, American businesses all over have been interrupted. Thousands of goods and merchandise were delayed in the process of negotiating contracts, while apparel and textile industries suffered. As one of the top trading ports in charge of almost 50 percent of all United States clothing and shoe imports, the halt had put extreme pressure and hardships on the fashion and apparel industry.

Apparel manufacture Nature USA was put into a sticky situation last month with the suspension of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The company, which typical deals with knits, dyes, and materials for its business, had to deal with cancelled and delayed orders. The company’s survival was on thin ice, as the ongoing issue had been in negotiation for months.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association also had stressed over the impact of this issue. The West Coast trade barrier had ultimately affected their company resulted in loss of sales and increased costs for their industry, according to We Wear News (wewear.org).

PMA and ILWU resolve West Coast port issue

After long nine months, the PMA and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reached a deal that put an end to the dispute. The team came to an agreement that works for the workers as well as the industry, resuming full port operations. Tom Perez, Secretary of Labor for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, had taken a special interest in resolving the matter for both sides of the problem. “The agreement is fair for both workers and the business operating at the ports and brings to an end what had become a significant headwind for the American economy,” Perez told WWD.

Although the shift will still take months for business to fully return to normal, due to the negative impacts left on the economy, the resumption of West Coast ports are decidedly beneficial for the apparel industry.