The National Retail Federation issued a statement applauding the appointment of John D. Porcari as Port Envoy to address supply chain disruptions.
Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French said in a statement, “Retailers have faced a number of unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, and the supply chain disruptions that continue to evolve pose a threat to many American businesses. As consumer demand increases, the supply chain challenges and the costs associated with them remain significant.
“Imports at retail container ports have marked record highs recently as consumer demand continues to stretch supply chains and retailers shift to the peak shipping season for winter holiday merchandise. The bottlenecks and congestion we are seeing at our ports highlight the need for an improved and sophisticated supply chain that can handle these issues.
“NRF is encouraged by the Biden administration’s action on this critical issue. We look forward to working with Envoy Porcari, Secretary Buttigieg and the full Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to mitigate these challenges, particularly in advance of the upcoming holiday season, so that retailers can ensure consumers can access the products they want and need in a timely manner.”
In June, NRF submitted a letter to President Biden outlining the supply chain challenges retailers have faced during the pandemic and potential solutions to address current and future disruptions.
