Statement by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on the West Coast Port Agreement

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today issued the following statement on the West Coast ports agreement. 

“This agreement, which provides certainty and keeps our ports open for business, is great news for the parties involved, including the longshoremen, the Pacific Maritime Association, shippers in America and around the world, and the U.S. economy,” said Secretary Pritzker. “Across the country, American businesses and workers have been affected by this situation, and I have heard many of their concerns and seen the impact firsthand.

“President Obama and his Administration have been focused on helping these parties reach a resolution, with Secretary Perez recently leading efforts to bring negotiations to a successful conclusion. I thank President Obama for his focus on this issue, and I applaud Secretary Perez's work. I was pleased to join Secretary Perez in San Francisco this week to press officials on both sides to end the impasse. With an agreement in place, the parties must work together to clear the backlog quickly so that we continue to demonstrate why America is the best place in the world to do business.”