Antwerp, 3rd October 2025

Dear valued customer,

We want to bring to your attention the ongoing strike affecting seaports in the United States and Canada, which may impact your shipments and logistics.

Current Situation (as we know today ! )
As of early October 2024, labor disputes involving dockworkers have led to significant disruptions at several key ports, particularly along the East Coast. Here’s a detailed overview:

West Coast (although no strikes at this point)

• Los Angeles and Long Beach: These twin ports are experiencing severe congestion, with reports indicating vessel wait times of up to 10 days. Unloading and processing operations have slowed considerably.

• Seattle and Tacoma: Labor actions have reduced staffing levels at these ports, resulting in delays of approximately 3 to 5 days for shipments.

• Vancouver: The port has seen a 25% decrease in cargo throughput due to work stoppages. This has resulted in significant delays for importers and exporters alike, with many containers waiting to be processed.

East Coast

• New York/New Jersey: The busiest port complex on the East Coast is facing operational slowdowns, with container processing times increasing by 4 to 6 days. Vessels are experiencing congestion as labor disputes have led to reduced workforce availability.

• Savannah: Known for its critical role in global trade, Savannah is currently reporting delays of 3 to 5 days due to work stoppages. Shipping lines are advising of potential impacts on cargo availability.

• Charleston: This port has also been affected, with delays reaching 2 to 4 days. The combination of high demand and reduced labor force has created bottlenecks in cargo processing.

• Norfolk: While slightly less affected than other major ports, Norfolk is still experiencing disruptions with an estimated 1 to 3 days delay for cargo handling.

• Montreal: Similar challenges are being faced here, with estimated delays of 4 to 6 days for cargo clearance. The strike has also impacted rail connections, further complicating logistics for shipments moving inland.

Impact on US East Coast
During the strike no vessels will be able to load/unload containers. Depending on the length of the strike carriers have the option to call force majeur – end of voyage and drop the containers at a port of their choosing. In this case customers will need to arrange transport from that port to final destination at their own expense. If strike takes longer time it’s also possible carriers suspend eastcoast services ( be it on temporary basis)

Impact on Europe export in general :
• Reefer containers: as a lot of the containers will be stuck either on dwelling vessels or at the USA ports a shortage may occur in different parts of the world. Normally around this time of year , huge amounts of empty containers are getting repositioned from the USA to South America for the coming fresh fruit seasons. Because of the strike it’s likely these empty reefers will now be positioned out of Europe, creating a deficit for European exports. Making things worse October / November is the traditional period for blank sailings between Far East/Europe. Lesser vessels means less empty reefer containers arriving out of Far East into Europe. Keep in mind Europe exports rely enormously on these empty repositionings

• Impact on Freight Forwarding: as your trusted freight forwarder, we are closely monitoring the situation and are committed to keeping
you informed about potential delays. Please be aware that several steamship lines are implementing peak emergency
surcharges due to the current conditions. These surcharges, which can range from (but not limited to) $1000 to $3000 per container, may take effect as from now. We encourage you to plan accordingly and factor these costs into your logistics strategy.

While we will do our utmost to safeguard your cargo and minimize disruptions, please understand that we cannot be held responsible for any accrued costs resulting from these delays or surcharges.

What we are doing
• Regular Updates: We will provide frequent updates on the status of your shipments and any new developments related to the strike.
• Alternative Solutions: Our team is actively exploring alternative shipping routes and methods to mitigate delays, including utilizing less congested ports where feasible.
• Communication: Please feel free to reach out to our customer service or sales team with any questions or concerns. We are here to assist you.

Looking ahead
We appreciate your understanding and patience during this challenging time. The situation is fluid, and we will continue to adapt our strategies to best serve your needs. Any new shipments are high risk therefore please also consider holding off new shipments until more clarity on the entire situation .
In case you want to go further with new shipments please consider the following :
- Prolonged transit times
- Additional surcharges from carriers which will be passed to our customers

Your business is important to us, and we are dedicated to ensuring your cargo is managed as effectively as possible.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best regards,
Shipex