(The Journal of Commerce)
Officials at the
ports of Seattle and Tacoma expect some containers to be diverted from Canada's Port of Vancouver for storage until a strike by short-haul truckers is settled.
The port's terminal operators and
truckers are not eager to handle a large number of Vancouver's containers because they already are fully occupied with their own Seattle traffic. The port is on a record pace this year, with containers up 26
percent through May from a year ago, also a record.
"This is not business we're actively seeking at the Port of Seattle," [a spokesman for the Port of Seattle] said. "We're busy enough
as it is."
The situation is much the same at Tacoma, where officials had not yet seen any quantifiable numbers of Vancouver boxes diverted or stored on their docks.
About 1,000 mostly
independent drivers represented by the Vancouver Container Truckers Association went on strike June 27 demanding higher pay from motor carriers. No negotiations have taken place since last week.
Employers renewed their complaint that drivers are making unreasonable demands in rejecting an offer of rate hikes averaging 28 percent.
Meanwhile, one of Canada's largest retailers says the strike
is forcing it to consider gateways other than Vancouver -- the country's busiest port -- for its Asia imports.
Brian Gerrior, a national manager with Sears Canada, in a statement posted on the port's
Web site, said that Vancouver's "unstable labor situation"..."makes business nervous, so we're reassessing how we bring goods into this country. Frankly, it may be better to spend an extra
couple weeks at sea and to come in through an East Coast port, if that's what it takes to make sure the product gets to the customer."
In another statement, Vancouver Port Authority President
and Chief Executive Gordon Houston said that railroads are refusing to load marine containers in other parts of Canada that are destined for the Vancouver market, due to the potential impact on their
operations. Houston also claimed that shipping lines are holding back goods destined for Vancouver from as far away as Europe.
TSI Terminal Systems, operator of the Deltaport and Vanterm terminals,
said it will bar truck containers beginning July 22 at its Deltaport terminal and July 23-24 at its Vanterm facility.
Local containers account for about 40 percent of the port's overall volume.
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