The Honorable Joseph R. Biden
President
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
Inter'l 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 Sweetpotato Commission
North Texas Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Assoc
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
U.S. Apple Association
U.S. Dairy Export Council
U.S. Fashion Industry Association
U.S. Grains Council
U.S. Meat Export Federation
U.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
