(Undated) The U.S. meat industry hopes for a quick resolution to the dockworker strike at East and Gulf Coast ports.
“Last year in 2023, we exported over $8.3 billion of pork and pork products to over 100 countries,” said Maria Zieba, National Pork Producers Council.
Zieba says they shipped some pork before the strike started. If the strike continues, the product can also be placed in cold storage. She says it’s not cost-effective to reroute products to the West Coast. A long strike could force international customers to buy meat from a non-U.S. supplier.
Dock workers from Maine to Texas started to man picket lines on Tuesday in a strike over wages and automation. Some experts fear the strike will reignite inflation and cause a shortage of some goods.
The Longshoremen are asking for a 77-percent pay raise over six years for its’ 45,000 Union members.
