BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) released the following statement in response to today’s strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association at 14 U.S. ports, including multiple in Louisiana.

Today’s strike by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association is disheartening and troublesome, especially for Louisiana, as we are a state with a considerable role in the nation’s distribution of exports, having exported nearly $53 billion worth of goods in 2023—everything from coffee to chemical products. The Port of Baton Rouge and the Port of New Orleans—critical domestic and international trade stops—are impacted. 

Beyond the financial blow of this strike, it will hamstring an already fragile supply chain that is still recovering from the pandemic. Despite precedent and the legal means to do so, the Biden Administration’s refusal to intervene in contract negotiations is also deeply frustrating. Intervention would have prevented interruption at the 14 ports involved while discussions between the parties continued. The very scenario we find ourselves in could have been avoided with action by the president. 

While a work stoppage at any time is unacceptable, this strike just before the holidays could be a disaster for Louisiana’s businesses, manufacturers, and consumers.

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