On Wednesday, agriculture groups urged the White House take action to prevent a possible strike that could start on October 1 at U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. These ports handle about half of the nation's ocean imports.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and other groups, including the Renewable Fuels Association and American Chemistry Council, believe that "the time is now for the U.S. Government to intervene to ensure port operations don't stop" in order to protect the U.S. economy and agriculture.

Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, expressed concern about the potential impact of a strike. He said that the United States was "on the verge of the first major union strike in Gulf Coast and East Coast ports since 1977." (Reporting and editing by Jarrett Renshaw and David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)