Apr 10, 2023

NRF monitoring West Coast port disruptions

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union chose to withhold labor at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which resulted in the overnight closure of all terminals April 6.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) issued the following statement from senior vice president of government relations David French following the decision.

“Retailers throughout the country depend on U.S. ports to support their daily business needs. The West Coast ports, especially those in Los Angeles and Long Beach, are a pivotal entry point to the United States that allow American consumers access to global products and essential goods,” French said.

He added: “NRF is closely monitoring the situation in California and has reiterated its concerns to the White House. It is essential that the ongoing labor negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association are resolved immediately. We again call on the administration to engage and prevent any further disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity.”

Last month, NRF led a group of 238 state, local and federal trade associations in a letter to President Joe Biden calling on the administration to provide support to help the negotiating parties quickly reach a new agreement.