READ: Coalition Letter Signed by IHA, Shippers Association Implores Biden To End Port Strike

October 2, 2024

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Biden,

On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing American manufacturers, farmers and agribusinesses, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, importers, exporters, distributors, transportation and logistics providers, and other supply chain stakeholders, we are calling upon you and the administration to immediately use your authorities to end the strike which has shut down all East Coast and Gulf Coast container ports. Given the dire situation and the massive negative ramifications for our industries and the economy, we implore you to take immediate action to resolve this situation expeditiously.

This has now become an issue of both economic and national security. The strike will cost the economy billions of dollars a day, impacting businesses large and small that are not party to the negotiations, but rely upon the free flow of goods, both imports and exports, through these critical ports. These port closures mean that our farmers are not able to sell their crops to overseas markets, manufacturers are not able to receive critical components for manufacturing facilities, retailers won’t be able to get their holiday merchandise in time and many other industries will be negatively impacted. The longer a strike occurs, the more severe the economic impact and the longer it will take to recover.

While we would have all preferred for the collective bargaining process to have worked and the parties to have negotiated and reached a deal, that was not the case. The administration must now step in to not only get the ports open again but work with the parties to resolve the outstanding contract issues. The only way the parties can agree on a new deal is if they return to the negotiating table with the help of a federal mediator to ensure they bargain in good faith.

Now is the time for leadership to resolve this issue. Thank you for your immediate attention.

Sincerely,

• AdvaMed
• Agribusiness Council of Indiana
• Agricultural Retailers Association
• Agriculture Transportation Coalition – AgTC
• Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
• Alliance for Automotive Innovation
• Alliance for Chemical Distribution
• Amcot
• American Apparel & Footwear Association
• American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI)
• American Automotive Policy Council
• American Chemistry Council
• American Clean Power Association
• American Composites Manufacturers Association
• American Cotton Shippers Association
• American Down and Feather Council
• American Farm Bureau Federation
• American Forest & Paper Association
• American Foundry Society
• American Frozen Foods Institute
• American Home Furnishings Alliance
• American International Automobile Dealers Association
• American Lighting Association
• American Pyrotechnics Association
• American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association
• American Soybean Association
• American Spice Trade Association
• American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute
• AmericanHort
• Animal Health Institute
• Arizona Retailers Association
• Arkansas Retailers
• Arkansas Soybean Association
• Associated Builders & Contractors
• Associated Equipment Distributors
• Associated General Contractors of America
• Association of American Railroads
• Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
• Association of Food Industries
• Auto Care Association
• Autos Drive America
• Baltimore Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association
• Beer Institute
• Boston Custom Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association
• Business Roundtable
• California Chamber of Commerce
• California Citrus Mutual
• California Retailers Association
• California Walnut Commission
• Can Manufacturers Institute
• CHS Warehouse & Logistics LLC
• Coalition of New England Companies for Trade
• Color Pigments Manufacturers Association
• Columbia River Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association
• Consumer Brands Association
• Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
• Cotton Growers Warehouse Association
• Council for Responsible Nutrition
• Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
• Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
• Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of Northern California
• Customs Brokers & International Freight Forwarders
• Association of Washington State
• Detroit Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association
• Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.
• East Harris County Manufacturers Association
• Economic Alliance Houston Port Region
• Florida Retail Federation
• Florida Trucking Association
• FMI – The Food Industry Association
• Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)
• Foreign Trade Association of Southern California
• Gemini Shippers Association
• Georgia Motor Trucking Association, Inc.
• Georgia Retailers
• Georgia/Florida Soybean Association
• Glass Packaging Institute
• Global Business Alliance
• Global Cold Chain Alliance
• Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
• Greater New Orleans, Inc.
• Green Coffee Association
• Greenabl Shippers Association
• Growth Energy
• Halloween & Costume Association
• Harbor Trucking Association
• Hardwood Federation
• Health Industry Distributors Association
• Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International
• Home Fashion Products Association
• Household & Commercial Products Association
• Houston Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association
• ICSC
• Illinois Retail Merchants Association
• Independent Electrical Contractors
• Independent Freight Forwarders & Customs Association of Savannah, Inc.
• Indiana Corn Growers Association Indiana Retail Council
• Indiana Soybean Alliance
• Information Technology Industry Council
• International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association New Orleans
• Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference
• International Association of Movers
• International Dairy Foods Association
• International Foodservice Distributors Association
• International Franchise Association
• International Fresh Produce Association
• International Housewares Association
• International Housewares Shippers Association
• International Shippers Association
• International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA)
• International Wood Products Association
• Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
• Kansas Grain and Feed Association
• Kansas Soybean Association
• Kentucky Retail Federation
• Kentucky Soybean Association
• Leather and Hide Council of America
• Licensing International
• Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association
• Louisiana Retailers Association
• Maryland Retailers Alliance
• Meat Import Council of America
• Meat Institute
• MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association Michigan Agri-Business Association
• Michigan Bean Commission
• Michigan Bean Shippers
• Michigan Retailers Association
• Michigan Soybean Association
• Mid-Valley Customs Brokers Association
• Midwest Dry Bean Coalition
• Missouri Retailers Association
• Missouri Soybean Association
• Montana Equipment Dealers Association
• Montana Restaurant Association
• Montana Retail Association
• Montana Tire Dealers
• Motorcycle Industry Council
• National Association of Beverage Importers
• National Association of Egg Farmers
• National Association of Manufacturers
• National Association of Wheat Growers
• National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
• National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
• National Chicken Council
• National Christmas Tree Association
• National Coffee Association, USA
• National Confectioners Association
• National Corn Growers Association
• National Cotton Council
• National Council of Chain Restaurants
• National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
• National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA)
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
• National Fastener Distributors Association
• National Fisheries Institute
• National Grain and Feed Association
• National Industrial Transportation League
• National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association
• National Marine Manufacturers Association
• National Milk Producers Federation
• National Mining Association
• National Oilseed Processors Association
• National Peach Council
• National Pork Producers Council
• National Potato Council
• National Restaurant Association
• National Retail Federation
• National Roofing Contractors Association
• National Sorghum Producers
• National Turkey Federation
• National Wooden Pallet & Container Association
• Natural Products Association
• NC Agribusiness Council
• NCBFAA Shippers Association
• Nebraska Soybean Association
• Nevada Trucking Association
• New Hampshire Retail Association
• New Jersey Motor Truck Association
• New Jersey Retail Merchants Association
• New York New Jersey Foreign Freight Forwarders & Brokers Association Inc.
• North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM)
• North American Home Furnishings Association
• North American Renderers Association
• North American Shippers Association
• North Carolina Retail Merchants Association
• North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
• North Texas Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association
• Northarvest Bean Growers Association Northern Border Customs Brokers Association (NBCBA)
• Ohio AgriBusiness Association
• Ohio Council of Retail Merchants
• Ohio Soybean Association
• Ohio Trucking Association
• Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
• Pacific Coast Council of Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Assns. Inc.
• Pennsylvania Retailers Association
• Performance Racing Industry (PRI)
• Personal Care Products Council
• Pet Food Institute
• Plumbing Manufacturers International
• Portland Cement Association
• PRINTING United Alliance
• Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association
• Recycled Materials Association (ReMA)
• Retail Association of Maine
• Retail Council of New York State
• Retail Industry Leaders Association
• Retailers Association of Massachusetts
• Rhode Island Trucking Association
• Rocky Mountain Bean Dealers
• RV Industry Association
• San Diego Customs Brokers Association
• Shippers Coalition
• SNAC International
• Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA)
• South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
• South Carolina Retail Association
• South Carolina Trucking
• South Dakota Soybean Association
• Soy Transportation Coalition
• Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
• Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance
• Specialty Vehicle Institute of America
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)
• Sweetener Users Association
• Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute
• Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc.
• Tennessee Retail Association
• Texas International Produce Association
• Texas Pork Producers Association
• Texas Poultry Federation
• Texas Retailers Association
• Texas Sorghum Producers
• The American Bakers Association
• The Business Council of New York State
• The Fashion Accessories Shippers Association
• The Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association
• The Fertilizer Institute
• The Game Manufacturers Association
• The Toy Association
• Toy Shippers Association
• Transportation Intermediaries Association
• Travel Goods Association (TGA)
• Trucking Association of New York
• S. Apple Association
• S. Dairy Export Council
• S. Fashion Industry Association
• S. Grains Council
• S. Meat Export Federation
• S. Sweet Potato Council
• United States Council for International Business (USCIB)
• US Dry Bean Council
• US Rice Producers Association
• USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
• USA Rice
• Utah Food Industry Association
• Utah Retail Merchants Association
• Vinyl Institute
• Virginia Agribusiness Council
• Virginia Grain Producers Association
• Virginia Retail Federation
• Virginia Soybean Association
• Virginia Trucking Association
• West Texas New Mexico Customs Brokers Association
• West Virginia Retailers Association
• Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
• Wine Institute
• Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
• Wisconsin Soybean Association
• World Trade Center New Orleans

CC:

• The Honorable Julie Su, Acting Secretary, Department of Labor
• The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary, Department of Transportation
• The Honorable Gina Raimondo, Secretary, Department of Commerce
• The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary, Department of Agriculture
• The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
• The Honorable Lael Brainard, Director, National Economic Council
• Members of Congress