Strike action at ports on the US East and Gulf Coast has ended after a new wage agreement was reached. However, a backlog of over 40 ships waiting to offload billions of dollars of cargo means the disruption is not yet over. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative wage agreement and extended the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, to allow for further negotiations, particularly concerning port automation. The strike lasted three days. At 5 a.m. Eastern Time on October 10, there were 44 ships queuing to enter affected ports, with more than 120 en route. Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, commented, "A prolonged crisis of this scale would have been toxic for global supply chains, so the market is breathing a sigh of relief." He added, "Closing all ports on the US East Coast and Gulf Coast, even for just three days, comes with severe consequences. We must now wait to see how quickly the returning workers are able and willing to deal with the huge backlog of ships waiting to offload thousands of containers carrying billions of dollars of goods." Sand anticipates the ripple effect of the strike will spread across global supply chains in the coming weeks, stating, "The dozens of ships delayed on the US East Coast and Gulf Coast will also be late arriving back in the Far East. This will impact schedules towards..."