Nearly Two Months Ago, ILA President Harold J. Daggett Called on Biden Administration to Ban Russian Ships and Cargo from U.S. Ports –Today, President Biden Finally Took the Right Action

NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (April 21, 2022) ILA President Harold J. Daggett and the ILA applauded the action taken earlier today when U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the United States was banning Russian-affiliated ships from American ports.

“We asked that this boycott of Russian ships and cargo be put into place nearly two months ago,” said ILA President Harold Daggett. “The ILA and I are glad that President Biden and his Administration finally responded to our call for action. We just wish they did it sooner to punish Russia and their murderous President Putin for the aggressive and illegal attack on Ukraine.

ILA President Daggett wrote to President Biden on March 4th, imploring him “to ban all Russian-owned, operated, staffed, and flagged commercial vessels, as well as Russian cargo, destined for American port.”

“Today, I’m announcing that the United States will ban Russian-affiliated ships from our ports, as they did in Europe,” President Biden announced today. “That means no ship — no ship that sails under the Russian flag or that is owned or operated by Russian interests will be allowed to dock in a United States port or access our shores. This is yet another critical step we’re taking in concert with our partners in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada and — further to deny Russia the benefits of the international economic system that they so enjoyed in the past.”

ILA President Harold Daggett said the statement was strong, but regrets that thousands of innocent lives were likely lost in Ukraine, by not taking this action sooner.