Letter from National Retail Federation to President Biden on port strike

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

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