A number of agricultural associations have joined in the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports.  Letters have been addressed to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees requesting funding.  At issue are the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program to promote exports of U.S. agricultural commodities.  Among organizations, the National Chicken Council strongly supported an allocation of $200 million for the Market Access Program and $35 million for the Foreign Market Development Program to be paired with private-sector cost-sharing.

The NCC specifically pointed to increased freight costs specifically for containerized agricultural exports and lower availability of containers coupled with cancellations of vessels and port delays.