The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) is calling for the swift resumption of cargo transports nationwide. It claims that small companies have been suffering from the ongoing strike by truckers affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
KITA Executive Vice Chairman Lee Kwan-sup: "As the KCTU's refusal to transport is running into its 8th day, major ports and production facilities across the country have been paralyzed for over a week."
Experts emphasized that exports for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing a particularly serious crisis due to the strike. "For SMEs, even one or two cancellations of shipments is an important issue that determines the survival of the company. There is a lot of damage caused by the disruption of transactions with buyers," Lee said.
There have been multiple cases of damage to agricultural and livestock products for export, such as fruit and vegetables produced by domestic farms not being loaded onto ships, resulting in huge storage costs or produce being discarded.
Source: koreatimes.co.kr