Arlington, Virginia - The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, regarding today’s labor agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association.

"We thank the White House for its leadership, and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker for helping to lead this long-overdue settlement. Reopening the West Coast ports as soon as possible ensures the U.S. economy can recover from the nine-month standstill it has experienced. We're hopeful the agreement will be ratified quickly and the ports will open immediately for business.

“Looking ahead, we call on the president and Congress to develop a long-term solution, legal or legislative, that will avoid these types of standoffs in the future - especially with another negotiation process looming in 2017. Our nation cannot afford another prolonged ports slowdown or, worse, a full shutdown that would cost our economy billions of dollars a day.”

About CEA

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the technology trade association representing the $223 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative and regulatory advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at CE.org, DeclareInnovation.com and through social media.