Ag-product movement faces challenges

May 28, 2020 at 11:45 AM CST
COVID-19 is disrupting many aspects of the U.S. agriculture-supply chain. For example some ports have needed to temporarily suspend shipments due to viral outbreaks. Agricultural exporters, primarily those west of Chicago, also have struggled to find shipping containers, said Eric Wenberg, executive director of the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance based in Mankato, Minnesota. Due to a steep decline in U.S. imports during COVID-19 there has been a decrease in cargo-ship sailings from Asia and other regions. “Blank” or canceled sailings means reduced supply of inbound cargo containers. So U.S. exporters have had access to fewer containers to ship products.

May 28, 2020 at 11:45 AM CST

COVID-19 is disrupting many aspects of the U.S. agriculture-supply chain. For example some ports have needed to temporarily suspend shipments due to viral outbreaks. Agricultural exporters, primarily those west of Chicago, also have struggled to find shipping containers, said Eric Wenberg, executive director of the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance based in Mankato, Minnesota. Due to a steep decline in U.S. imports during COVID-19 there has been a decrease in cargo-ship sailings from Asia and other regions. “Blank” or canceled sailings means reduced supply of inbound cargo containers. So U.S. exporters have had access to fewer containers to ship products.