Senators voice concerns about shipping crisis

In show of bipartisan support for U.S. agriculture, 24 U.S. senators on Tuesday pushed for a swift resolution to the container shipping crisis, signing on to a letter to the Federal Maritime Commission, expressing support for the FMC’s investigation into reports of unreasonable practices by ocean carriers that are posing challenges for ag exporters.

“The need is urgent,” the letter said.

Led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) – both of whom are members of the Senate agriculture and commerce committees – the letter urges the FMC to take appropriate action under the Shipping Act to halt any potential violations of the Act by the carriers.

“If the reports are true, such practices would be unreasonable and would hurt millions of producers across the nation by preventing them from competing in overseas markets,” the senators wrote.

With ports experiencing unprecedented congestion, U.S. agricultural exporters’ access to international markets is being jeopardized by the dysfunction and rising costs of ocean transportation services, which includes unreasonable and unjust practices such as the rejection of U.S. agricultural cargo by ocean carriers who are shipping empty containers back overseas to keep up with the high demand for U.S.-bound imported goods.

In October, SSGA was one of the first national agricultural associations to shine a light on the disruption of the food supply chain and other critical problems facing containerized ag exports after members began to be informed that some ocean carriers were suspending containerized and other overseas ag shipments. 

Read the senators’ letter here.

Earlier this month, SSGA representatives had the opportunity to give testimony to the FMC, along with other national ag organizations, and last week, signed on to a letter to President Biden, urging intervention from his administration.