Washington apple industry applauds port settlement
Washington apple industry applauds port settlement
The tentative agreement between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association is positive news for the Washington apple industry, which has seen several challenges on the export front during the current season.
The deal struck Feb. 20 means that normal work flow is being resumed at the 29 ports on the West Coast, including the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, which are responsible for much of the apple export volume out of Washington state.
“With our record crop this season, we have missed critical shipping opportunities for festive seasons such as Christmas and Chinese New Year,” Washington Apple Commission President Todd Fryhover said in a press release. “However, we still have ample supplies of high-quality Washington apples in storage and will be working with our foreign market partners to make sure that consumers continue to have Washington apples available throughout the spring and summer. Our foreign market representatives are scheduling promotions for later in the spring to support shipments that may have been delayed due to the port slowdown.”
It will still take several weeks for the ports to resume regular shipping schedules, although ports up and down the West Coast were said to be requesting additional labor to help get through the backlog. Ships have been backed up in harbors waiting to unload and load with containers delayed by two to three weeks, resulting in millions of dollars of lost sales opportunities for the apple industry alone over the past three months.
Washington state produces approximately 60 percent of the apples in the United States, but it is responsible for over 90 percent of the exports. In a normal season, Washington exports one-third of its production outside of the United States, which totaled over $780 million in the 2013-14 season.