Contingency Measures for Potential Work Stoppage

NOTE: Please see updates to this situation posted on October 3.

Dear Valued Customers and Stakeholders,

As we approach a potential International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) strike on October 1, 2024, we want to reassure you that APM Terminals Elizabeth is fully dedicated to ensuring operational continuity and minimizing any disruptions to your supply chain. We have developed a comprehensive contingency plan designed to address various scenarios, allowing us to maintain the highest standards of service during this time.

That being said, we strongly encourage arrangements to remove cargo from the terminal prior to October 1st, whether such cargo is still within Free Time or already incurring demurrage. APM Terminals Elizabeth expects major congestion immediately following any work stoppage as the entire Port of New York and New Jersey will be working through the backlogs created. In preparation for such an event, APM Terminals Elizabeth has already extended gate operational hours to 7 PM and will ensure there are sufficient levels of import pick up appointments to provide every opportunity possible to support cargo delivery.  

Given the fluid nature of the situation, we are committed to keeping you informed and working closely with you to navigate any challenges that may arise as the date approaches.

Key Elements of Our Contingency Plan:

• Gate Operations: APM Terminals Elizabeth will resume normal gate hours (6 AM–4 PM) for Monday, September 30th. The appointment system will reflect these appointment windows accordingly.
  o Exports: Export appointments will be available as usual, with regular gate cutoffs through Monday, September 30th, except for live reefers. We will not accept live reefer exports on Monday, September 30th.
  o Imports: Import appointments will proceed as normal. We strongly encourage customers to take advantage of the extended gate hours, including the 7 PM cutoff through Friday, September 27th, and the additional Saturday gates on September 21st and September 28th.
  o Empties: Both inbound and outbound empty appointments will continue as normal.
  o Out-of-Gauge (OOG): OOG operations will be handled as usual, except for the Saturday gates on September 21st and September 28th, when OOG containers will not be serviced.
• Rail Operations: Rail operations will continue as normal through Monday, September 30th. Please consult your rail providers for any updates or changes to their operational plans.
• Vessel Operations: Vessel operations will proceed as scheduled, in coordination between ocean carriers and APM Terminals Elizabeth.
• Reefer Operations: We highly encourage customers to take advantage of the extended gate hours (7 PM cutoffs and Saturday gates) to retrieve all live reefers. APM Terminals Elizabeth will not be responsible for loss or damage to contents of reefers not loaded on vessels or not picked up before the close of business September 30th as they will not be monitored and maintained if the terminal is closed due to work stoppage. Export reefers will not be accepted on Monday, September 30th, or for vessels with an ETA of October 1st or later. We also encourage our customers to get in touch with their ocean carrier partners to determine any cut-off dates with respect to export and refrigerated cargo shipments.
• Demurrage: Consistent with the provisions in the New York Terminal Conference (NYTC) tariff regarding demurrage (see page 21, item #8 https://www.apmterminals.com/en/port-elizabeth/services/tariff):
  o Cargo already in demurrage at the commencement of a strike will continue to accrue demurrage through the established tiers for the duration of the strike and until such cargo is removed from the terminal following any strike.
  o Cargo still within its free time as of the commencement of a strike will have its free time frozen until the strike ends and demurrage fees will not be incurred during any strike period. Free time will resume immediately upon resumption of operations.
• Resumption of Operations: For the latest updates, please stay informed through our regular e-alerts and the APM Terminals Port Elizabeth website: https://www.apmterminals.com/en/port-elizabeth
  o To subscribe to e-alerts, sign up on the link below: https://accounts.apmterminals.com/root/user/register

We remain focused on minimizing the impact on your operations and will provide updates as the situation evolves. Thank you for your continued trust in APM Terminals Elizabeth.