**Bipartisan Support Emerges for Longshoremen Strike Targeting Foreign Shipping Companies**

In an unusual turn of events, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have voiced their support for the ongoing strike by East and Gulf Coast longshoremen. This strike primarily targets foreign-owned shipping companies that manage U.S. ports, illustrating a rare political alignment between major figures from both parties in favor of American workers.

The International Longshoremen's Association began its strike this week, seeking significantly better wages—up to a 60% increase over six years—from these largely European and Asian conglomerates. Harris emphasized that foreign-owned shippers have amassed record profits without fairly compensating the workers who play a critical role in America's supply chain. Similarly, Trump accused these global shipping giants, including Singapore-based ONE, the world's sixth-largest shipping company, of profiting at the expense of American labor.

This bipartisan support underscores a broader political strategy aimed at securing the support of blue-collar workers ahead of the upcoming November elections. Harris framed the strike as a matter of fairness, stressing the necessity for better wages for the vital dockworkers. Meanwhile, Trump highlighted the foreign ownership of these vessels as a focal point of his criticism.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, whose state houses the East Coast's largest port, starkly portrayed the conflict as one between foreign corporations and American employees. The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents the shipping industry in negotiations, refuted these criticisms by pointing out that their diverse membership comprises both American subsidiaries of foreign companies and U.S.-based port operators.

Despite the lucrative compensation packages for dockworkers, which can exceed $250,000 annually in places like New York and New Jersey, the union argues these demands are justified given the record profits reported by companies such as Maersk, CMA CGM, Evergreen, and Hapag-Lloyd. The pandemic's supply-chain disruptions have spotlighted the fragility and foreign dependence of America's logistics networks, further amplifying the union's position.

As of now, less than 200 out of approximately 40,000 global cargo ships are U.S.-based, highlighting a significant industry shift over the past several decades. This extended period saw nearly all American ocean carriers being sold to foreign corporations or ceasing operations, thus eroding the country's maritime dominance that dates back centuries.

A potential investigation into Chinese shipping practices and the federal response might become focal points, especially with growing anti-China sentiments in Congress. Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida specifically called out Chinese shipping giant COSCO, spotlighting concerns over Beijing's influence on American ports.

With both parties keen to appeal to working-class voters, the strike by American dockworkers against foreign-owned shipping companies has become a critical battleground, representing broader themes of economic fairness, national security, and supply chain reliability.