A US East & Gulf Coasts port labor strike could further destabilize international trade says a new report. A potential labor strike by longshoremen along the US East and Gulf Coasts at the end of the year could have devastating economic consequences as inventory depletion, rerouting, hoarding, and price speculation ripple through supply chains of global companies, Marsh warns in a new report. The longshoremen’s labor contract with port operators along the East and Gulf Coasts is set to expire December 29, 2012. If a compromise cannot be reached, ports from Maine to Texas could see work stoppages—similar to what was experienced the past eight days with the clerical workers’ strike at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.