The Chamber of Commerce Urges White House to Mediate Port Negotiations

appoint a neutral federal facilitator to convene tri-party talks amongst business leaders, trade union delegates, and customs officials to resolve bottlenecks at maritime gateways, establishing a 72-hour action window and measurable milestones that agencies can track quickly.

Dear stakeholders,, the summer backlog along the Pacific corridor remained a significant drag on business and consumer prices. James of the AssociationNorth notes the impact on dairy, vehicle, and furnishings shipments, with York-bound routes feeling the squeeze. The plan should define conditions for cargo clearance, predictable dwell times, and a framework for cross-agency data sharing to reduce delays, about 30% in the first month after adoption.

To ensure accountability, publish a joint timetable within two weeks and hold weekly briefings with private-sector partners; if needed, escalate to a federal panel that can issue binding guidance for critical corridors connecting the Pacific region to York distribution hubs, whilst preserving dear stakeholders’ confidence.

quick wins including aligning customs processing with an agreed set of shared data standards, reducing dwell times by 20–25% in the first quarter, and ensuring service levels for dairy and vehicle components remain stable during peak summer cycles along the coastline; the York corridor should see relief as shipments move more rapidly, diminishing volatility.

Port Negotiations Mediation Plan

Launch a dedicated facilitation vehicle led by associationnational in partnership with associationnorth and associationoutdoor to drive structured talks, publish a 90-day action map, and lock in milestones with transparent metrics.

Establish a risk register mapping cost implications for exporters and import flows, quantify delay costs, and set a cap on escalation costs to avoid costly derailments. They will feed data into the dashboard.

Technically, the plan leverages a phased approach as an intervention to stabilise flows and reduce volatility. Phase one data sharing, phase two public accountability, phase three binding quarterly reviews.

Identify challenges and propose actions to reduce friction: standardised documents, interoperable systems, and a single point of contact who tracks activity across stakeholders. Only essential steps are funded and pursued in this cycle.

Funding model: mutual fees, government support, association resources, and performance-based allocations to keep total cost predictable from quarter to quarter.

To sustain American competitiveness, the plan focuses on streamlined procedures for exporters and for import flows into global markets, with clear performance targets and measurable results.

Implementation roles: james will oversee quarterly updates; suzanne coordinates cross-functional activities; they will publish minutes and ensure transparency.

Identify Signatories and Their Specific Demands

Publish a verified list of signatories and their demands to set a baseline for actions, because clarity helps agencies allocate resources and measure progress.

1. Unions and labour coalitions

   • Demand: full staffing at critical nodes, enhanced safety protocols, and predictable schedules to support work on high-volume shipments.
   • Context: started earlier this year as part of a response to rising volumes and the ongoing impasse; continue to press to ensure compliant staffing and overtime pay in dollars.
   • Strategic action: provide a clear timetable for milestones, including a quarterly review and a concrete vehicle for escalating if progress stalls.

2. Growers' associations

   • Demand: guaranteed throughput and continuity of service to prevent further drops in revenue; ensure prices cover costs by year-end and protect margins against volatility.
   • Case: The perspective from growers is that disruptions began earlier and have led to pounds lost; they seek predictable handling to protect yields and shipments into the next season.
   • Strategic action: commit to fast-track decisions on lane assignments and staffing to keep volumes moving, with documented actions and a public progress report.

3. Chemical sector participants

   • Demand: dedicated safety lanes, accelerated clearance for routine shipments, and targeted investments in containment, training and response capacity.
   • Case: risk controls must be reinforced as volumes grow; the group wants a formal mechanism to review safety metrics quarterly and to resolve safety gaps without delay.
   • Strategic action: require a binding timetable for facility upgrades and a cost-sharing plan that preserves supply resilience for the coming year.

4. Logistics and terminal operators

   • Demand: priority processing for critical goods, streamlined paperwork, and systems modernisation to reduce dwell times and avoid unnecessary delays.
   • Perspective: operators report volumes rising steadily; without swift decisions, throughput drops threaten hefty penalties and higher operating costs for years to come.
   • Strategic action: publish a quarterly progress dashboard and allocate funding for targeted infrastructure improvements that align with the rising load.

5. Community safety and environmental groups

   • Demand: enhanced transparency around risk communications, incident reporting, and environmental safeguards; insist on independent reviews of handling practices.
   • Public confidence hinges on timely data sharing and demonstrable actions to reduce risk, especially as volumes continue to increase.
   • Strategic action: require published metrics on safety drills, spill response readiness, and contractor oversight, with annual public reports to show progress.

Clarify Mediation Role: What White House Can and Cannot Do

Recommendation: Establish a clear, facilitator-led mandate for the administration, focused on convening, data sharing, and process alignment that helps parties agree on practical steps and timelines rather than dictating terms.

Acting as a neutral convener, the office can source and share necessary data, run technically sound assessments, and coordinate cross-industry calendars to ease season-related frictions affecting agricultural growers and many businesses. Under the Biden administration, the approach would be data-driven and transparent.

Engage stakeholders across the chain, including growers, retailers, importers, and logistics partners, to ensure broad input. Both sides benefit from transparent information flows that clarify expectations for the season and beyond.

Limitations: While the facilitator can propose options and help negotiate terms, it cannot bind parties to terms or override private contracts. Any voluntary agreement requires the consent of those involved; this preserves flexibility and avoids unintended consequences.

Operational tools: publish guidance on data formats, timelines and standard procedures; provide non-binding recommendations; share publicly accessible dashboards showing current congestion, throughput and delay estimates. Technically, the facilitator can also propose alerts and triggers to expedite decisions when delays rise.

Expected impacts: a successful facilitation can reduce slowdowns, lessen effects on imported goods, and support summer shipments for agricultural products. If an agreement emerges, the result includes steadier volumes for growers and predictability for retailers, with many suppliers able to plan more accurately.

Action plan: outline roles in a public document, schedule regular briefings, and keep participation voluntary. Continue to monitor indicators and adjust the approach as needed; remain flexible to changes, and they should be able to adapt as conditions evolve, including seasonal import surges.

Timeline and Milestones: Letters, Ratification, and Negotiation Phases

Recommendation: Establish a three-milestone plan that starts with letters from associations to federal authorities, followed by ratification steps, and ends with a structured dialogue among exporters, dairy and agricultural groups, to prevent slowdowns and raise cargo throughput.

1. Letters Phase

   • Draft six to eight letters from associations and networks to federal agencies, referencing current goods, cargoes, and agricultural exports.
   • Include data on pounds and salaries to justify urgency; request written commitments within 14 days, with a follow-up in 21 days.
   • Enlist York-based associations and east coast groups to ensure widespread backing, there, supported by most signatories.

2. Ratification Phase

   • Issue a formal memorandum outlining the agreed terms for ratification by federal bodies and affected regional authorities, with three specific checkpoints to ensure compliance.
   • Secure endorsements from agricultural and dairy sectors to demonstrate widespread backing; target a three-week window for approvals.
   • Document milestones and assign Willie as liaison for cross-state coordination, maintaining momentum toward a final framework.

3. Negotiation/Dialogue Phase

   • Launch a structured dialogue with exporters, logistics firms, and port stakeholders to resolve critical issues and prevent another round of slowdowns.
   • Establish three rounds of talks toward a binding framework that addresses cargoes, goods and wage considerations; ensure costs are sustainable.
   • Set measurable milestones and publish progress weekly to east and york districts, with transparent data on pounds, wages, and volumes of cargoes.

Operational Impacts on West Coast Ports and Intermodal Trade

Recommendation: Voluntarily extend hours at West Coast terminals to stagger arrivals and maintain throughput, minimising disruptions and protecting the economies of California and other states from holiday-season shocks.

From the perspective of counciloregon, these actions could save about one billion dollars annually.

To formalise responsibility, issue a binding agreement with shipper groups, rail providers, and government partners that codifies schedules, handoffs, and contingency steps.

These measures reduce disruptions by aligning operations across terminals and the rail network, supporting continued flows and easing pressure on trucking lanes during peak demand periods in California and other states.

Below are concrete actions to deploy immediately: extend terminal windows voluntarily; prioritise intermodal moves with streamlined clearance; deploy digital documentation to speed up inspections; align rail-to-terminal handoffs with predictive software and real-time visibility.

Impact: If kept to plan, this approach could cushion disruptions and avoid a shutdown that would ripple across economies across California and other states, affecting very many supply chains.

Continued collaboration amongst shippers, carriers, and authorities will help economies rebound and maintain momentum in intermodal trade across the coast.

Action Items for Businesses, Unions, and Regulators

Recommendation: issue a joint binding statement to trigger a six-year resilience plan with quarterly milestones, a rapid-response fund, and objective triggers to adjust capacity at major shipping hubs. Martin says the plan should reflect input from growers and workers; Suzanne voted in favour of swift action, and the statement notes many entities expect soon final clarity on roles and timelines, with actions to be implemented quickly.

Operational steps focus on maintaining smooth operations and avoiding slowdowns: diversify suppliers to reduce single-source risk, extend buffer inventories for critical items (including potato shipments), implement cross-docking, and lock in standby labour agreements that allow flexible working hours without triggering disruptions. These measures help protect working conditions, address peak periods, and limit disruptions across other supply chains, while tracking progress for key metrics.

Regulatory actions should emphasise technically sound data sharing and clear guidance regarding throughput, dwell times and incident logs; publish benchmarks for performance and compliance; and support fast route diversification and streamlined approvals to minimise delays. Dear stakeholders should consider this perspective to resolve issues before they escalate, with regard to maintaining economies and avoiding major disruptions.

Together, these steps address sticking points from multiple perspectives and aim to resolve issues before they escalate, minimising disruptions and supporting final outcomes that protect workers, growers, and economies during critical periods.