Shipping costs spike as Port of Portland labor dispute drags on

KOIN:

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — With container ships avoiding Port of Portland because of a labor dispute, exporters of agricultural products must pay higher costs to get their cargo to alternate ports and ultimately to Asia.Companies such as SL Follen, a Portland-based exporter of hay and feed products, have paid upwards of $1,000 per container to reroute their cargo to Seattle.Meawhile, ORPAC Feed and Forage in Junction City hasn't shipped anything in four days while it looks for a feasible way to get containers to Seattle. The situation is costing the company $10,000 per day.The labor dispute is between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.A federal judge appointed former Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski to help broker a solution and the parties were negotiating Tuesday.Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Read the full article here. Discuss below.

connect with blueoregon