Labor unrest causes temporary shutdown of LA-LB ports.

The Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach were closed for 24 hours due to labor unrest, causing disruptions for exporters of agricultural goods. The incident highlights the risks of bringing volumes back to the West Coast, which has been losing market share to East and Gulf Coast ports due to inventory overhang and concerns over labor disruptions. The container shipping industry is building more tonnage for the East Coast route, and there is growing sentiment that the gains of East and Gulf Coast ports are permanent.