USA US: Ports on the west coast reach an agreement

24/02/2015

During the weekend, an agreement was reached between the operators of the ports on the west coast and the union representing the stevedores who work in those ports. The agreement guarantees that the activities of the port will resume at full speed after months of slow movement of goods through the twenty-nine ports included in the agreement.

The agreement, which was announced on Friday, is a great relief for producers and handlers of fresh products that receive imports or send goods overseas through the ports of the west coast. Orange producers in California were particularly concerned that a protracted labor dispute would impair their ability to export fruit. The resolution of the conflict occurs just when the season for California citrus growers reaches its maximum speed. If an agreement had not been reached, citrus exports from California could have been greatly affected.

«If no agreement is reached, there is no plan B“said Mike Roberts, Suntreat sales manager, before the deal was announced on Friday. «Right now is when you have to join as much as possible. We have another month left to do a decent export business«. Now that ports are back to normal, California citrus growers can cash in on that business.

Source: Freshplaza.com