Coalition Raises Concerns Regarding Supply Chain Challenges in California, Farmers, Businesses, & Labor Request Dialogue with Governor Newsom

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a letter sent to Governor Gavin Newsom and State Legislators, a group of more than 165 California agriculture, business, logistics, labor organizations and local elected officials warned that current supply chain challenges and pending and proposed state policies impacting freight, imports and exports require urgent attention.

State regulations not properly supported by infrastructure, investments, and flexibility in implementing timelines create insurmountable problems for all Californians. Inevitably imports and exports at our many California ports will slow to a crawl as they did during COVID. With that will come less available food and other supplies, higher prices, the loss of thousands of supply chain jobs, and worsening economic conditions throughout California, especially in disadvantaged rural communities.

Requesting an immediate meeting with Governor Newsom, the letter discusses the real-world impacts of state policies that attempt to force transitions faster than the adoption of the technology or creation of the supporting infrastructure necessary for their implementation:

“While our Coalition understands the important goals and aims of your policies (some of which take effect as soon as January 1, 2024), we are increasingly concerned with unresolved economic feasibility, technological challenges, and lack of essential infrastructure required to make them a reality by 2035. Fortunately, California is presently making significant progress in air quality within the limits of technology and funding (e.g. farm tractors; trucks; trains; ships and cargo equipment at Ports) but we can only go as fast as reality and feasibility allow.”

The coalition looks forward to collaborative and constructive discussions with the Newsom administration around regulatory relief and infrastructure investments that result in meaningful solutions with the win-win goal of growing the California economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously.

Click here to read the entire letter.

Notable signatories to the letter include: local elected officials from the San Joaquin Valley, 166 agriculture and farming companies and organizations, cargo owners, maritime business and labor groups, the trucking industry, warehousing and distribution center representatives, and general business advocacy groups.