Terminal watchmen at Los Angeles and Long Beach have until 5pm Pacific Time on Wednesday 4 November before their contract lapses. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents employers, said the two sides signed an extension, avoiding a walkout threatened for 1 November1. Talks will continue with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service1, 5.
The extra days have not cleared cargo already stuck in the complex. Rail dwell, a railcar shortage and a bridge closure due on 7 November are adding days to schedules now, without any strike2, 3.
Indian exporters have a direct interest. The United States took 31% of India's textile shipments in FY2026, the largest share of any destination6. A Rubix Data Sciences report listed freight disruptions among the pressures on that sector6. Los Angeles and Long Beach form the biggest container terminal complex in the United States7. Together they handled a record 2.04 million TEU in September1. Los Angeles handled 1,042,652.3 TEU and Long Beach 997,177 TEU2, 8.
Why 250 watchmen can stop eight terminals
Local 26 represents about 250 maritime watchmen, who carry out security duties at marine terminals1. They are about 2% of the ILWU workforce at the two ports9. PMA says their terminals handle roughly 85% of Long Beach's cargo and 33% of Los Angeles' cargo1.
The wider risk is the picket line. PMA has warned that other ILWU workers are unlikely to cross a Local 26 picket line. That could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected terminals1.
The union's strike notice named eight locations. They are APM Terminals, Long Beach Container Terminal, Total Terminals International, SSA at C-60 and A-90, Pacific Container Terminal, LB 206 and Outer Harbor Berth 559. Six are container terminals and two handle other cargo, Sourcing Journal said in a report cited by SupplyChainBrain10.
Port of Long Beach chief executive Noel Hacegaba said port-wide security from the Harbor Patrol and city police continues through the talks10. The Port of Los Angeles said it remained hopeful of an agreement without disruption to port operations10.
The dispute is separate from the coastwide ILWU contract, which runs through 20289. PMA says significant differences remain1. Local 26 president Luisa Gratz wrote to other maritime unions on October 23. She said that "nothing of value has resulted from the Union's commitment to bargaining in good faith with our employers and PMA"9.
The delay is already here
ICIS reported that construction around the ports and strong import volumes were delaying rail and freight movements. One market participant told ICIS it was planning two extra days of lead time for product through the ports. Another said delays were adding three to four days to already extended lead times2.
PMSA data cited by ICIS show rail containers spending an average of 7.19 days at the complex in September, against 6.75 days in August2. Truck containers went to 3.18 days from 2.95 days2.
On 26 October, 35,688 import containers were waiting for on-dock trains, according to The Dwell's compilation of the ports' daily rail reports3. At Los Angeles, 8,133 of 19,626 waiting containers had been at the terminal for at least nine days. At Long Beach the figure was 2,429 of 16,0623. By 28 October, more than 13,000 containers had been at the ports for longer than nine days, SupplyChainBrain reported10.
Freight broker C.H. Robinson flagged a shortage of intermodal railcars in Southern California in its October market update3. Hacegaba said average rail time at Long Beach remains under five days. He said smaller inland hubs are seeing longer delays than major destinations3. The PMSA's September average for the whole complex was 7.19 days2.
The queue is not at sea. The Dwell's congestion tracker reported one ship waiting for a berth in the week of 26 October, based on Maritime Administration and Marine Exchange data3. Long Beach has extended evening and Saturday gates at its terminals for six weeks, excluding the week of Thanksgiving2.
A second constraint starts on 7 November. The Vincent Thomas Bridge carries about 53,000 vehicles a day, and nearly 9% of that traffic is heavy trucks2. It closes for a 16-month rehabilitation. Caltrans will send traffic mainly onto Interstates 710 and 110, State Route 103 and Harry Bridges Boulevard, and station officers at 18 intersections2. The Loadstar said the closure could lengthen drayage journeys through the complex11.
Why a falling spot rate is not a green light
Drewry put Shanghai to Los Angeles at $7,514 per 40ft in the week to 29 October, down 6% and the steepest one-week fall since June 20254. Shanghai to New York fell 5% to $9,631 per 40ft4.
Carriers had lined up a general rate increase of $2,000 to $3,000 per 40ft for 1 November4. US west coast forwarder Freight Right said the chances of it sticking were diminishing4. It expected China to US ocean rates to stay broadly stable through the first half of November4.
Demand is easing at the same time. The National Retail Federation expects US ocean import volumes to fall 11% month on month in November, Drewry noted4. NRF figures cited by gCaptain put volumes at major US ports at 2.25 million TEU in October and 2 million in November9.
For buyers, the spot rate is not a congestion signal. The rate covers the ocean leg, while the lost days show up in rail dwell, truck turns and container free time2, 3.
What to do before Wednesday
Before the extension, CargoTrans advised customers with released cargo at the ports to collect it before Sunday evening. It also told them to allow flexibility in delivery schedules, particularly for rail shipments11.
With a new deadline, the same checklist applies. Confirm bookings, vessel schedules and documentation cut-offs with each carrier. Check whether the routing still uses one of the eight terminals named in the union's notice9. Ask for free time and detention terms in writing, and set the last free day against the latest arrival estimate rather than the original one.
Alternate gateways carry a price. In the same week, Shanghai to New York was $9,631 per 40ft against $7,514 to Los Angeles4. Houston handled 376,419 TEU in September, up 11%12. For time-critical cargo, price Vancouver, Prince Rupert, the US east coast and Houston before assuming a switch is cheaper.