The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) faces a contract expiration on 30 September, now only four months away. The union has signaled its intention to strike since November of last year. The relevant contract covers primarily container shipments; bulk cargo is under a separate contract. The strike is likely to affect primarily the South Atlantic and Gulf ports as a settlement on a new contract was already made on the West Coast in July 2023. The master contract agreement will expire and there are other local issues at specific ports with much of the focus on automation potentially replacing labor. For context, about 53 percent of all containerized grain and grain product shipments go through Los Angeles and Long Beach, us...