The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike is in effect as of October 1, 2024, until the large U.S. maritime workers’ union finalizes negotiating with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). This strike has shut down approximately 36 major U.S. ports along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico leading to significant disruption in U.S. and international supply chains. In response to the ILA Strike, CBP has issued updates on its operations and compliance guidelines to help importers and the trade community minimize business disruptions and costly delays. These measures aim to facilitate smoother operations during the strike period.
CBP Trade Call Summary
Today CBP Field Operations held a call with the trade community to discuss CBP operations during the ILA strike. Susan Thomas, CBP’s Executive Director of Cargo and Conveyance Security and CBP HQ leadership spoke to over 1200 callers who attended to request clarifications on a variety of issues including arrival date and impact on General Order (GO) status timeframe, quotas, prior notice, statements, and more.
CBP confirmed that it is operating all ports of entry in its normal due course and under its typical entry processing and cargo release procedure supported by the Centers of Excellence and Expertise. Traditional port enforcement procedures are in place such as CBP and PGA flags for inspections and examinations. However, due to terminal disruptions, examinations will be significantly delayed. CBP is monitoring the strike and seeks strong communication with the trade community to know how to manage any impact on cargo flow.
During the call, CBP provided an overview of the two most relevant Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS), CBP’s method for communicating news to trade partners, issued in response to the strike. CBP pointed participants to the guidance provided in:
- CSMS # 62464633 for entry and cargo questions; and
- CSMS # 62475241 for CTPAT benefits such as Front of the Line Inspections and Advanced Qualified Unlading Approval (AQUA) Lane.
CBP also confirmed that as the strike continues, more CSMS messages will be rolled out to minimize the risk of general order status and penalties. For detailed clarifications stated on the call, please contact us for a memorandum issued to our clients.
If you have any specific questions you would like CBP to address, please contact us and we can assist in submitting them to CBP. If you need assistance with entry date calculation, support with CTPAT benefits requests to the ports, or CBP examination detentions, our customs and trade team can assist.
Please contact Denise Calle at dcalle@ofwlaw.com for additional information.