U.S. Department of Transportation Statement on East Coast and Gulf Coast Ports

On Monday, DOT officials met with businesses that will be affected by labor disputes to continue their ongoing dialogue about impacts to the supply chain and provide an update on the Administration’s efforts to encourage the parties to negotiate in good faith. Since early summer, DOT’s Multimodal Freight Office has been engaged with shippers, ocean carriers, ports, railroads, and other supply chain partners on the potential impact of a strike. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOT has established strong relationships across the supply chain to address bottlenecks—from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the closure of the Port of Baltimore—and continues to communicate with partners on every level of the supply chain. Our Administration supports collective bargaining as the best way for workers and employers to come to a fair agreement, and we encourage all parties to come to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith—fairly and quickly.