# West Coast work stoppage would fuel dumpster fire | Feed & Grain

> Kuhne & Nagel's William Rooney warned at the USDA Outlook Forum that a West Coast port work stoppage by ILWU workers would paralyze US West Coast, Gulf Coast and Canadian trade. The ILWU contract expired August 1, 2022, and talks have been ongoing since May 2022.

- Date: 2023-02-24 · published 2023-02-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/37327-west-coast-work-stoppage-would-fuel-dumpster-fire-feed-and-grain
- Commodities: [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md)

## Why it matters

The risk of a West Coast strike threatens grain and feed export and import flows, which could widen basis and freight spreads if negotiations stall.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: neutral
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBM | 2020-08-28 | [Argentina: Grains Port Workers Delay Strike](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51435-argentina-grains-port-workers-delay-strike.md) | +3.5% | +14.2% |
| SBM | 2021-05-23 | [Stranded grain ships to be towed to decongest port in Argentina - BusinessWorld Online](https://feedsoft.ai/events/47133-stranded-grain-ships-to-be-towed-to-decongest-port-in-argentina-businessworld.md) | -0.7% | -6.8% |
| SBM | 2022-12-02 | [US Senate approves legislation preventing rail strike \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38256-us-senate-approves-legislation-preventing-rail-strike-world-grain.md) | +10.1% | +12.6% |
| SBM | 2026-09-08 | [Grain exports flow again as Argentina reaches deal with striking pilots \| World Ports Organization](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17500-grain-exports-flow-again-as-argentina-reaches-deal-with-striking-pilots-world.md) | +1.1% | +0.7% |
| SBM | 2020-12-03 | [Market Perspectives – December 3, 2020 - Page 9 of 10 - U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49550-market-perspectives-december-3-2020-page-9-of-10-u-s-grains-and-bioproducts.md) | -1.3% | +11.5% |

## Sources

- feedandgrain.com: https://www.feedandgrain.com/blogs/grain-insights/blog/15384232/west-coast-work-stoppage-would-fuel-dumpster-fire

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