Ports in the Pacific Northwest have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to expand their ability to ship America’s agricultural riches east to Asia, with export capacity and rail unloading for grains and oilseeds more than doubling from 2008 to 2015, according to William W. Wilson, a professor of agribusiness at North Dakota State University.
Bloomberg reports that now, amid Trump’s trade war with China and no deal with Japan, port officials are concerned where growth will come from if Asia turns elsewhere for crops and U.S. farmers and exporters seeking diversification and stability ship more supplies through the Gulf Coast to Europe and Middle East.
“It is so hard to get business,’’ Alex Strogen, chief commercial officer for the Port of Vancouver USA told Bloomberg. “What’s even harder is to win back business.’’
