| DENVER (October 8, 2002) – “The United States is the world leader in...

DENVER (October 8, 2002) – “The United States is the world leader in the export of red meats,” said U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Phil Seng. “We hope that the action taken by President Bush today will give both sides in this dispute another chance to find common ground and keep the ports open permanently.”

President Bush said he would seek a court order to suspend a lockout that has shut down West Coast ports and cost the country billions of dollars. The injunction would suspend for 80 days the lockout at 29 ports, now in its 10th day. If the ports are ordered reopened and the dispute is not settled after 60 days, the act requires a secret ballot vote by the workers on the employers' final offer. If the offer is rejected, the lockout could resume.  "The President’s action is a vital step,” Seng said. “We expect both sides to put forth their best efforts to find a permanent and equitable solution. The U.S. must incorporate technology to compete in the world market. On the other hand, dock workers deserve fair treatment.”

Bush decided to invoke the 1947 Taft-Hartley labor act for the first time since 1978 after he received the report of a fact-finding panel that he established a day earlier. The report, released by the White House, said the atmosphere for negotiations was poisoned and the port workers and their employers were unlikely to resolve their dispute.

In 2001, the United States exported 1,026,695 metric tons of beef and pork — 57,000 containers — valued at more than $3.3 billion to Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). An ongoing dispute, therefore, could cost the American industry as much as $9 million per day and affect cattle and hog prices all the way down the chain to the American producer.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –