The Auto Care Association is calling on the Biden administration to mediate the ongoing labor negotiations after a strike involving 45,000 dockworkers began at 14 ports along the east and Gulf coasts, according to a news release.
The strike is expected to cause significant disruptions to supply chains, with estimates suggesting that for every day the strike continues, it will take five to seven days to recover from the associated delays. A J.P. Morgan analysis projected that the strike could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion daily.
The affected ports, including Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans, and Houston, handle a significant portion of the auto care industry’s imports and exports. A prolonged strike could strain the supply chain, lead to billions of dollars in losses, and cause delays in the movement of goods, making it difficult for repair shops and distributors to meet demand.
In addition to the disruption at east and Gulf coast ports, west coast ports are also experiencing a surge in cargo, which could slow down the movement of goods in that region as well.
“More than four million Americans working in the auto care industry count on the steady flow of automotive parts and products through our ports each day to do their jobs,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. “Each day that this strike continues, not only does our industry lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars in business, but the nearly 300 million Americans who drive are more at risk on the road as access to service and repair of their vehicles diminishes. We are calling on the Biden administration to take all possible and appropriate steps to facilitate a resolution between the two parties so that Americans across the country can get back to work safely.”
U.S. automotive parts exports and imports represent $51.2 billion and $138.9 billion, respectively, according to the Auto Care Association’s 2025 Auto Care Factbook. The closure of more than a dozen ports along the coastlines puts U.S. automotive aftermarket businesses at risk of losing up to $340 million each day the strike prevents imports from being delivered.
In 2023, nearly 25% of automotive parts were imported through the east and Gulf coast ports now at risk of disruption from the labor strike. Auto Care Association members have reported imports being diverted to west coast ports, which are seeing a surge in imports and will also be impacted by the labor strike. This compares to nearly 40% of imports that arrive via truck and rail freight through land ports of entry from Mexico, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The Auto Care Association is urging those in the automotive aftermarket industry currently experiencing or anticipating an impact from the port strike to share their stories to support advocacy efforts. Contact Angela Chiang, director of international affairs at the Auto Care Association, at [email protected].
Previous stresses on the supply chain were discussed in FenderBender’s 2024 outlook on the collision industry, such as the now escalating war in the Middle East and recent UAW strikes.
