Shipping shortage

Last week, 111 U.S. House members wrote to the Federal Maritime Commission chairman, sharing “mounting concern over reports that certain vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs) are declining to ship U.S. agricultural commodity exports from our ports.”

As the members wrote, there are reports that VOCCs “are delivering shipments to U.S. ports and then electing to leave without refilling empty containers with American goods for export. Such activity constricts entire supply chains and propels trade to move only in an inbound direction. These conditions are unsustainable for exporters, put significant strain on the U.S. economy, and simply unacceptable.”

The members urged the chairman to urgently resolve the matter. The National Pork Producers Council has been actively working on resolving the issue, recently joining more than 70 groups in sending a letter to President Biden, urging the administration to address this shipping crisis.