by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing dockworkers and warehouse workers along the West Coast of the United States, issued a statement condemning the recent US tariff measures against China.
The union argues that the trade war between the two economies could have severe consequences for maritime workers.
The ILWU represents workers across the US West Coast, including dockers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of Canada.
In its statement, the union described the tariffs as “a direct attack on the working class.”
“Hundreds of thousands of jobs are dependent on or connected to global trade. Constricted trade between the world’s two largest economies could lead to devastating job losses for workers employed in the global supply chain,” says the ILWU.
The union believes that the cost of these tariffs will be passed on to American workers, leading to significant price hikes that impact consumers’ livelihoods.
“The reality is clear: these tariffs don’t put “America First” — they put American working people last,” states the union.
“We refuse to accept policies that destroy jobs, inflate costs, and sell out the working class. We call on every worker, every union, and every person who believes in economic justice to stand with us against these Trump tariffs.”
Similarly, the State of California, home to the key ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, condemned the tariffs and warned that the state is particularly vulnerable to the economic fallout.
California’s governor has even filed a lawsuit against the US Administration’s policies, arguing that they are unlawful and could severely impact the state's economy.
The escalating trade war between China and the US has led to a significant drop in the volume of goods shipped from China, prompting carriers to adapt quickly.
Liners have reacted by increasing the number of blank sailings and reshuffling some services to shift capacity accordingly.
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