The American Bakers Association (ABA) is applauding the promise of the tentative agreement to end the East Coast and Gulf Coast longshore workers’ strike.

“Every day the strike continued would have cost U.S. commerce billions of dollars and disrupted the lives of millions of consumers. We have temporarily avoided a crisis that would have prevented commercial bakers from delivering essential food to Americans’ tables,” says Eric Dell, ABA president and CEO. “We hope that the port operators and longshore workers are able to reach an agreement beyond January that will keep supply chains stable and certain for the long term.”

According to the ABA, commercial bakers across the U.S. rely on imports to manufacture their products. In 2023, the industry's imports totaled more than $3 billion. The strike reportedly impacted more than 37% of the industry's imports, worth nearly $3.1 million of products per day. 

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