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A dockworkers strike is days away. What would it mean for the economy?

The deadline for negotiations between the union representing dockworkers and the ports is next week.
Wesley Lapointe for The Washington Post via Getty Images

UPS moves further into "reverse logistics" with purchase of Happy Returns

Oct 30, 2023
Delivery giant grows its network of sites where customers can send back packages by adding 10,000 Happy Returns drop-off locations.
Expanding its network of drop-off locations promises to boost the efficiency of UPS' package pickup operation.
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FedEx and UPS hike prices for 2024, but not as much

Sep 11, 2023
Shipping companies need to cover their higher costs, but there's a limit to how much they can pass on to customers.
Carriers like UPS and FedEx know there is a limit to how much they can raise prices, said Jason Miller of Michigan State.
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Outlook cools for global shipping demand

Nov 2, 2022
Softening demand and high inventories are to blame.
Shipping company Maersk expects demand for shipping containers to dip between 2% and 4% this year.
John Thys/AFP via Getty Images

Ports tackle vessel "dwell times" to reduce backups

Jun 29, 2022
The Port of Oakland wants to shorten the stays of shipping containers at its marine terminals.
Dwell times for shipping containers at ports have risen dramatically during the pandemic.
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Port congestion is easing. But supply chain congestion isn't going away soon.

Jun 10, 2022
China’s COVID-19 lockdowns, which shut down much of the country’s manufacturing and exports, are partly to blame.
President Joe Biden addressed was at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday. Though the port is clearing, the bottlenecks may not be over yet.
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Having soared throughout the pandemic, the cost of shipping declined in March

Apr 5, 2022
From the shipping slowdown in China to the excess of inventory on hand, there are a number of likely reasons for the drop.
Shipping hasn't slowed at the Port of Los Angeles, according to executive director Gene Seroka.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

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How goes the inflation fight?

Dec 22, 2021
The White House has pushed changes at ports to fix supply chains and ease prices, but high demand for goods continues to exert pressure.
Though the Biden administration has pressed for changes at ports to improve goods transport and ease inflation, they're still not operating 24/7.
Mario Tama via Getty Images

How a container storage yard fits into our global shipping crunch

Oct 27, 2021
Some containers have been sitting in storage for years. Experts say the problem has more to do with moving them to the right places than increasing the number in circulation.
Sales manager Carlos Carrillo at ConGlobal Industries' container storage depot. After unloading, he said, "they terminate here before they go out back to China or wherever it may be.”
Andie Corban/Marketplace

Pay or delay: Importers caught in shipping backup face limited options

Oct 8, 2021
“There’s nothing I can do,” said India Hynes, CEO of appliance importer Vinotemp.
Stacks of shipping containers at the Port of Oakland in California. "Containers aren't unloaded at the port level, and the factories are hesitant to produce," laments India Hynes, CEO of Vinotemp.
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