Agriculture groups last week urged the Biden Administration to address the ongoing shipping container shortage.
More than 70 food, agriculture and transport groups, including the National Pork Producers Council, penned a letter last week to President Joe Biden, urging the administration to address the ongoing ocean carrier practices the groups say are hampering delivery of U.S. agriculture, food and forestry products to international markets.
The letter outlines how carriers are declining to carry cargo and instead opting to return empty containers to Asia. The groups say, “unless the Shipping Act and other tools available to our government are applied promptly, agriculture industries will continue to suffer great financial losses.” The letter explains the Shipping Act provides the Federal Maritime Commission with the authority to prohibit unreasonable, unjust practices, and “to promote the growth and development of U.S. exports through competitive and efficient ocean transportation.”
Given the urgency of this situation, the groups ask those tools be immediately applied to stem the current ocean carrier practices.
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