Labor unrest took an unusually heavy toll on ports around the world in 2022, and the outlook for continued economic instability could bring even more upheaval to global supply chains in 2023.

As the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association continue to negotiate, the head of one of the nation’s busiest ports said he thinks a labor agreement may not be reached until February.

Ongoing concern about labor and management talks regarding two separate contract negotiations and a slowing U.S. economy resulted in a big drop in container volume at two of the nation’s biggest ports on the Pacific Coast.

Already the No. 1 inland port in North America, Laredo is expected to further solidify its position and see substantial trade growth according to local leaders thanks to the planned addition of a second international railway bridge.

Additional funding for the country’s ports was recently announced as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to facilitate the movement of freight along key supply chains.

APM Terminals Mobile handled a company record number of 20-foot-equivalent containers in September, the port networks operator said Oct. 27.

ORLANDO, Fla. — With an influx of funds expected to exceed $25 billion for rebuilding and expansion, the nation’s coastal and inland facilities are beginning a “golden age,” port leaders say.

Uncertainty over labor negotiations at West Coast ports and East Coast facilities seeing a surge in business are just two signs port industry leaders see in a fast-evolving environment.

Major ports and rail facilities across the U.S. Southeast have halted operations as one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the country advances as a tropical storm, causing disruptions along the way and resulting in another blow for already strained supply chains.

A dispute over the assignment of work at a Port of Seattle terminal potentially could disrupt talks to reach a multiyear labor agreement between 22,000 unionized dock and warehouse workers at 29 West Coast ports and management.