October 4, 2024 Update: On Thursday, October 3rd, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative deal to suspend their Gulf Coast & East Coast port strike until January 15, 2025 when they plan to reopen negotiations. The below post contains information originally published on September 26, 2024 and has not been edited since. Any further updates will be added to this preface.

At Royal New York, we strive to keep you informed about developments that could potentially impact our operations and coffee supply. Recently, there has been increasing concern about a potential East Coast port strike in 2024. Read Andrew Blyth’s report below to explain the East Coast port strike and what it means for you.

What is the East Coast Port Strike?

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMA) are threatening a Labor Strike starting on October 1^st. With approximately 45,000 union workers, this strike would impact all East Coast and Gulf Coast ports.

A port strike of this magnitude hasn’t happened since 1977. Our hope is that an agreement will be reached before the strike takes place. However, if a strike does happen, we could experience a disruption to afloat and forward shipments of coffee, potentially impacting our inventory flow.

What an East Coast Port Strike in 2024 Means for You

1. Do you have coffee in-store, on reserve or are you planning to order from our NJ, Jacksonville, or Wisconsin spot list? Rest assured; at this time, you are not affected in any way. 

2. If a strike occurs, we could experience delays that would affect our ability to restock on time. Note that this also depends on how long the strike were to last.

3. We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you updated on any developments. Still, our goal is to provide you with the most current information as it becomes available. We will do anything possible to prevent any supply disruptions. 

Stay Tuned

We are committed to minimizing disruptions and maintaining the high-quality service you expect from us anyway we can. That being said, this is unfortunately well beyond our control. Many politicians, economists, and logistics experts are calling for a pre-strike resolution, and we are hoping for the same.
We value your partnership and especially appreciate your understanding as we navigate this challenging situation. Know that we will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates as more information becomes available.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support. If you have any questions or concerns about an East Coast Port Strike in 2024 or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out to our trading team.

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