As U.S. dockworkers struggle against automation, Chinese ports continue to outperform their American counterparts.
A United Arab Shipping Company container vessel prepares to leave Yangshan Port, one of the three major working zones of the Port of Shanghai. Credit: Sky Blue via iStock.com
For three days last week, dockworkers no longer dotted the terminals at ports across the U.S.’s eastern and Gulf Coasts. The short-lived strike ended after the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the port operators, agreed to raise salaries, allaying fears that the walkout could inflict a multi-billion dollar hit on the American economy.
But the episode has both highlighted the central role of maritime trade in the U.S. economy, and cast a light on long-standing inefficiencies at U.S.
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