Mike Pearson examines the possibility of a strike at the ports along the east coast and Gulf of Mexico after labor negotiations stalled in November.

Two months ago, the ports came to a stop as workers went on strike. However, a deal was struck to keep working and keep negotiating until Jan. 15.

However, negotiations have stopped and the chance of a strike happening is increasing.

The International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance reached an agreement on the wages. But what's at stake now is automation.

The USMX has pushed for automation which would decrease costs and increase efficiency. However, the union is against it.

The economic impacts of a strike would be rippling due to the supply chain impacting everyone in the USA.

However, farmers could be hit hard if a strike occurs even for one week-- $350 million dollars worth of farm products which require the ports to move the products like soybeans, cotton, vegetables and dairy to global markets.

In the first seven months of the year, the U.S. Meat Export Federation says $3 billion in red meat exports will be transported in just the first seven months of the year.

Now, President-elect Donald Trump is speaking up and says he is favor of the union and that automation causes more harm to Americans than good.

Related:Farm Progress America, Jan. 16, 2025

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness.