Shipments at two major West Coast ports have reportedly resumed. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach halted operations late last week when long-running contract negotiations for union workers broke down. It is not clear if the temporary halt was the result of a strike or worker shortage.
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition told one media outlet that products shipped in bulk were not impacted, but agriculture commodities shipped by container were caught in limbo, including soybeans, chilled meat, and fresh produce.
The two ports are essentially the largest gateway for maritime trade in the U.S., accounting for 40 percent of goods arriving in the country. As uncertainty surrounding union workers and their contracts grows, international shippers have avoided the ports in favor of east coast ports.
Steenhoek says that creates more uncertainty for the U.S. food supply chain, and it will only get worse if ports can’t provide reliability.
Traders say that shift could eventually prompt the USDA to scale back soybean export projections, noting the outlook differs greatly for other grain commodities.
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Often overlooked, cotton wholesalers act as stabilizers during market stress, translating fragmented retail demand into workable production programs for mills and manufacturers.
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Early indications suggest the U.S. cattle industry may be nearing the end of its liquidation phase. Oklahoma State University livestock economist Dr. Derrell Peel says the industry could be at or near the cyclical low.
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Reliable waterways lower costs, protect export demand, and support long-term farm profitability.
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USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg joined us with a recap of the Malaysia trade mission and a look at USDA’s broader trade strategy moving forward.
January 28, 2026 01:49 PM
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Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition shares how extreme winter weather is affecting the ag transportation network and what producers should keep in mind as conditions slowly improve.
January 28, 2026 01:36 PM
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