WASHINGTON, D.C.– Suzanne Clark, President and CEO at U.S. Chamber of Commerce, joined with CEOs of several major companies and other stakeholders to meet with senior administration officials today to address the supply chain bottlenecks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
For several weeks the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been convening retailers, shippers, port operators, and others to develop concrete steps to help alleviate the bottlenecks in the supply chain.
In today’s meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, NEC director Brian Deese, and Port Envoy John Porcari several coalition members committed to moving volumes of freight at night for the next 90 days at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. This will do two things: (1) give the ports the financial security to keep these nighttime hours going through the end of the year; and (2) help alleviate congestion at the ports by making them accessible 24/7.
“American companies are stepping up to combat the bottlenecks and delays and this will make a crucial difference as we seek to tackle this problem head-on,” said Suzanne Clark. “This supply chain crisis is hurting businesses and consumers alike, leading to inflation and shortages of key supplies. Coupled with massive labor shortages, this is a major threat to our fragile economic recovery and long-term competitiveness.”
Moving forward, the Chamber and its member companies will continue working with the administration as we bring together the major users of the two ports – including the port directors, terminal operators, railroads, truckers, and others – to focus on solving operational challenges together in real time.
“We applaud the administration’s engagement in helping to solve this crisis,” said Suzanne Clark. “We will also continue to work with them and other stakeholders to advance commonsense solutions for the long term – including addressing the labor shortages, modernizing our ports, and passing the infrastructure bill.”
The infrastructure bill currently before the U.S. House of Representatives would invest $17 billion in seaports, $25 billion in airports, $66 billion in railways, and $110 billion in roads, bridges, and other infrastructure critical to the flow of commerce.
“Today’s White House meeting underscores the urgency to strengthen American supply chains to promote economic security, national security, and jobs here at home,” said Suzanne Clark. “We have not a moment to waste.”
Companies attending today’s meeting included Walmart, Target, FedEx, UPS, Samsung, and Home Depot.
