Biden-Harris's commerce secretary says she is staying out of a possible longshoremen's strike

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on CNBC's “Squawk Box” on Monday that she is “not particularly involved” in the potential longshoremen's strike, which has some experts worried it could cost the U.S. economy billions each day.

“This is the first time since the 1970s that there have been strikes everywhere, not just on the East Coast but in the Gulf ports,” said CNBC anchor Becky Quick. “What would that mean for trade in this country? What would it mean for companies if we went on strike? And what do you know about it?”

“I would say, look, it's no secret that this could be incredibly disruptive to trade, depending on how long it lasts,” responded Raimondo, who was acting as a surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign.

She added that she hopes the parties reach an agreement, otherwise the impact on the economy could be “very devastating.”

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Secretary Gina M. Raimondo’s responsibilities include “promoting our economic and national security.” (Fox Business Digital)

Shortly afterwards, questions were asked about what impact it would have if the strike lasted longer than a week.

“I didn’t really focus on it. I would refer you to the White House or the Secretary of Transportation,” Raimondo responded.

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When Quick pressed again about the potential impact of the strike, Raimondo dodged, saying she didn't want to violate the Hatch Act because she was there as a private citizen.

“I wasn’t particularly involved,” she added.

Cars wait to be loaded onto ships at the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Newark, New Jersey on July 23, 2023. ((Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images))

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Unionized dock workers in the International Dockers' Associationwhich represents 45,000 members at ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, could go on strike starting Oct. 1 if an agreement is not reached by the end of Monday.

The strike by workers at ports from Texas to Maine will reportedly impact U.S. farmers already struggling with a downward economic spiral. A JP Morgan analysis estimated that a strike would occur cost the US economy up to $5 billion per day.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Commerce Department for comment and did not immediately receive a response.

Fox Business Digital's Suzanne O'Halloran contributed to this report.