Today, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) President and CEO Eric R. Byer issued the following statement thanking officials for averting the potential U.S. rail strike:

“The disruption caused by the looming rail strike would have been catastrophic to businesses still recovering from the impacts of the supply chain crisis and navigating inflation, rising interest rates, labor challenges, and more. Chemical distributors, many of which are small businesses, rely heavily on railways as they process and deliver critical products used in goods that support Americans’ everyday lives.

“Earlier this week, NACD sent a letter to Congress highlighting the risks of this potential strike and called on Congress to use its legal authority under the Railway Labor Act to intervene to prevent a rail stoppage.

“A rail strike of any duration would have exacerbated existing supply chain challenges, rendered significant damage to the U.S. economy, and threatened the movement of products that are critical to the health and well-being of Americans. Today, we are grateful to the Biden administration, Secretary Walsh, and all rail negotiators for averting a national crisis.”