Earlier this year, the labor dispute hobbled the international trade through West Coast seaports. This dispute has officially come to an end on Friday when the union representing dockworkers made an announcement that its members had ratified a five-year contract.

According to spokesman Craig Merrilees, the members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union voted 82% in favor of the deal. There were around 13,000 union members, who were eligible to vote.

In February, the union leaders had reached a tentative deal with the companies, owning massive oceangoing ships that bring cargo to and from ports and also operate the terminals where that cargo is loaded and unloaded.

In the beginning of this week, the Pacific Maritime Association of shipping lines and port terminal operators said that its members have passed the contract, making the union's approval the last step.

Several months ago, ports from San Diego to Seattle were all shut down as the two sides haggled over the contract. The companies that accused workers of coordinated slowdowns have decided to cut their shifts by shuttering the ports on nights and weekends.

The tit-for-tat resulted into long lines of ships that queued outside of harbors, waiting for space at the docks.

As of February, when the US secretary of labor had helped broker with a tentative deal, many dozen ships were anchored outside the twin ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which are the nation's largest. From Easter goods to patio furniture, they held everything.

Meanwhile, US exporters came up with the complaint that their goods, including agricultural perishables, were stuck on the docks because the foreign competitors filled orders that should be theirs.

Again Cargo is flowing smoothly through 29 ports, handling around $1 trillion in imports or exports every year.