Officials at International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 in Tacoma are looking to boost agriculture exports through the Washington state port by up to 1,000 containers a month.
The ILWU Local 23’s efforts come on the heels of a recently released federal maritime report that found that Eastern Washington state farmers could increase their exports by 25 percent if given the proper resources.
Local 23 President Scott Mason, who represents about 1,500 dockers, told the Tacoma News Tribune that he is meeting with the state farm bureau and other stakeholders to work out the logistics of making such a boost in exports a reality.
Mason told the Tribune that the idea came to him after he heard President Barack Obama's call to double the nation's exports in the next five years.
