As much as 5 Billion each day according tojpmorgan analysts. Us retailers, automakers and other businesses now face Ballooning Freight rates ahead of the crucial festive shopping season. Large retailers have pulled forward imports of much of their Holiday Merchandise and made reservations with west Coast Ocean and Rail Carriers in hopes of avoiding any disruption. Lets speak to peter sand, chief analyst at xeneta, an Ocean Freight analytics firm. Hello to you. I know you have already calculated what this could mean if the Strike Action goes ahead, so do tell us more. A disruption like this always comes at a bad time for European Exporters into North America as well as North American exporters out of thE East Coast And Gulf coast. It will be impacted at first but this seems to be a first for almost 50 years, has the potential not only to lift Freight Rates higher due to the disruption from the strike, but certainly also to have wider implications, one or two months later down the road w