U.S. companies that rely on East and Gulf Coast seaports have been importing early, shifting goods to the West Coast, and even putting cargo on pricey flights to hedge against a threatened Oct. 1 strike that could jam supply chains and reignite inflation ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

U.S. companies that rely on East and Gulf Coast seaports have been importing early, shifting goods to the West Coast, and even putting cargo on pricey flights to hedge against a threatened Oct. 1 strike that could jam supply chains and reignite inflation ahead of the U.

Manufacturers and importers have been rushing in apparel, home goods, and machine parts to avoid having cargo stuck.

Dockers at 36 ports from Texas to Maine say they will walk off the job on October 1st after their contract expires. This is the first port labour dispute on the east coast since 1977. In recent years labour-related uncertainty has been more common on the west coast,

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK >> U.S. companies that rely on East and Gulf Coast seaports have been importing early, shifting goods to the West Coast, and even putting cargo on pricey flights to hedge against a threatened Oct.

New York area shipping officials urged customers to immediately retrieve their cargo ahead of a possible strike next week which would impact major US ports, according to a letter released Tuesday.