A potential strike at three dozen U.S. ports could upend supply chains and raise prices weeks before election day.
Farm Policy News says the International Longshoremen’s Association says it will have 25,000 members walk off the job if the union doesn’t come to a new agreement with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents carriers and marine terminal operators, before their contract ends on September 30.
The contract covers all ports between Maine and Texas, including New York, Savannah, Houston, Miami, and New Orleans.
A coalition of 177 trade groups says those ports handle 41% of the country’s containerized port volume, and their closure would have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy.
While bulk grain exports would largely be unaffected, the strike would impact containerized agricultural exports like soybeans, soybean meal, and other agricultural products exported via containers would be affected, forcing farmers to move shipments to new ports.
