NMPF Works to Mitigate Port Strike Disruptions
November 5, 2024
A port workers strike that threatened millions in U.S. dairy exports was successfully limited Oct. 4, after NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) called on the Biden Administration to intervene in the port workers strike.
NMPF and USDEC in an Oct. 1 joint statement and Oct. 2 industry letter co-signed by more than 270 agricultural, manufacturing, retail and additional supply chain stakeholders helped apply pressure on the negotiating parties, who agreed to resume work on Oct. 4.
More than $4.5 million in U.S. dairy exports moved through east and gulf coast ports in 2023 and a work stoppage forced exporters to cancel shipments and undertake costly reroutes. NMPF and USDEC relayed information between exporters and USDA to highlight and address storage and rerouting challenges as a result of the strike.
The International Longshoremen’s Association reached a tentative agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance to suspend the strike and resume normal operations on Oct. 3. NMPF and USDEC welcomed the end to the strike and pressed both parties to come to a long-term agreement before the current contract extension expires on Jan. 15, 2025.
