Supply Chain Spook
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
October 29, 2021
The supply chain’s breakin’ down
and its making consumers’ frown.
It’s a problem I’m hoping to snuff
‘cause the season’s spooky enough.
The time has come for the cheaters to pay
which is exactly what my bill has to say.
Congress cannot get sidetracked
but must pass the Ocean Shipping Reform Act.
Before there’s a Christmas delay
due to cargo ships stuck in the Southern California bay.
Halloween is here and while there is plenty of scary movies to watch and haunted houses to go to, what has me most spooked is the state of the global supply chain.
The supply chain disruption is haunting both producers and consumers:
- Dozens of South Dakota agricultural exporters have contacted my office expressing frustration with long delays.
- Local stores are unable to fill shelves and online shoppers are having to wait months for their purchases.
- California ports are now running around the clock as cargo ships form queues off the west coast waiting to offload.
- Reports have come out that ocean carriers are declining cargo bookings of American exports and returning to the Asia-Pacific with empty containers.
It is no secret the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the supply chain in unprecedented ways, but continual congestion, and outright declining to ship American exports is unfair, anti-competitive, and should be an illegal business practice.
While there’s no silver bullet to fixing the supply chain, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) and I introduced the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 to ensure that American exporters are given mutual benefit and reciprocal opportunities.
Because the majority of ocean carriers are foreign based, this piece of legislation would require ocean carriers to adhere to minimum service standards that meet the public interest, reflecting best practices in the global shipping industry.
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 would also provide the Federal Maritime Commission, the U.S. governing body of the shipping industry with the ability to self-initiate investigations and apply enforcement measures when ocean carriers exhibit unreasonable behavior.
With spooky season ending, Christmas is fast approaching and shopping for gifts will soon begin. It’s time that we hold these carriers accountable and get the supply chain back up and running before there’s a Christmas delay.
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