washington business
B
oxes of apples sat rotting for weeks, with growers forced to dump unsold produce in Central Washington fields. Food processors
loaded French fries onto airplanes, desperate to get their products to Asia. Lacking necessary parts, manufacturers shut down
production lines.
After years of trade moving efficiently through some of the nation’s largest ports, last fall’s labor dispute brought commerce to a crawl,
with global consequences. No one was left unaffected.
Nothing shakes complacency like disruption. The slowdown should have been an enduring reminder of the importance of
the working waterfront. But memories are short. Complacency returns.
It’s important to remember: Washington’s working waterfronts are the gateway to international trade, the source of tens of
thousands of great jobs. And they are uniquely positioned to thrive in the coming decades of expanded trade and maritime activity.
Yet today they face a variety of threats, including gentrification, urbanization and environmental politics. That’s why
maritime leaders are taking bold steps to remind people of the industry’s importance to the regional, state, and global economy.
“We feel often like it’s the forgotten legacy industry,” says Joshua Berger, maritime lead at the state Department of Commerce.