# Grain industry may be hit by MUA and Qube Ports dispute | Farm Online | ACT

> The Maritime Union of Australia is in an industrial dispute with Qube Ports over a new enterprise agreement, with action threatening bulk ports including Darwin, Fremantle, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Port Kembla. Grain exporters and fertiliser importers face the biggest risk of supply interruption. Negotiations have stalled over rosters and wages, and arbitration cannot be sought for several months.

- Date: 2025-01-08 · published 2025-01-08T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region Australia · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/26509-grain-industry-may-be-hit-by-mua-and-qube-ports-dispute-farm-online-act
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Barley](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARLEY.md), [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

Protracted action at bulk grain terminals could delay Australian wheat and barley exports and fertiliser imports, supporting export basis and freight costs. The dispute is unresolved, so the risk is ongoing.

## Read by commodity

- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- BARLEY: bullish ▲
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2025-08-27 | [Industrial action set to hit Kwinana grain port all next week \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23327-industrial-action-set-to-hit-kwinana-grain-port-all-next-week-farm-online-act.md) | +0.1% | -0.9% |
| WHEAT | 2025-08-28 | [Automation dispute threatens Australia's grain export supply \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23331-automation-dispute-threatens-australia-s-grain-export-supply-farm-online-act.md) | +0.1% | -0.7% |
| WHEAT | 2017-04-25 | [PN industrial action costing Vic grains sector millions \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71505-pn-industrial-action-costing-vic-grains-sector-millions-farm-online-act.md) | +3.6% | +2.1% |
| WHEAT | 2025-10-22 | [Dispute may threaten Victorian grain exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/22404-dispute-may-threaten-victorian-grain-exports.md) | +4.0% | -0.8% |
| WHEAT | 2025-09-01 | [CBH locks out Kwinana workers as union dispute gets worse \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/22872-cbh-locks-out-kwinana-workers-as-union-dispute-gets-worse-farm-online-act.md) | -0.6% | -1.2% |

## Sources

- farmonline.com.au: https://www.farmonline.com.au/story/8862036/grain-industry-may-be-hit-by-mua-and-qube-ports-dispute/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.