“This addresses the number one concern of growers, which was to make sure that they got their product to the markets. Some of our growers have lost customers because of these delays. And more containers are leaving our port empty instead of being filled with Washington products. In the next few weeks, this terminal will start filling with containers full of hay, grains, apples, peas, lentils, and refrigerated dairy products. Our growers can ship them here, keep them here, and when the next ship is ready to go, their product will be on it.” - Senator Cantwell

Port congestion accelerated during the pandemic, leaving exporters, including American farmers, struggling to get their products to global markets. Unpredictable sailings and ocean carriers denying American exports exacerbated the pain as freight costs skyrocketed. By September 2021, shipping rates for a 40-foot container climbed to $11,000, compared to $1,300 before the pandemic.

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act cracks down on skyrocketing ocean shipping costs. It eases the supply chain backlogs that raise costs for consumers and make it harder for American farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market. It gives the Federal Maritime Commission the tools it needs for effective oversight of international ocean carriers.

Senator Cantwell shepherded the bill successfully through the Commerce Committee and unanimously passed the legislation in the Senate during the same month in March 2022. President Biden signed the bill into law on June 16, 2022. 

Soon after the bill became law, U.S. supply chain backlogs subsequently trended downwards from record highs earlier that year. By October 2022, four months after the bill was signed, shipping rates for a 40-foot container dropped to $3,689, a 64 percent decrease from peak rates in September 2021 the year before.