Labor contract negotiations at ports along the West Coast have stalled shipments of U.S. meat and goods to export markets, and that’s hitting Iowa farmers hard. At stake: millions of dollars’ worth of products and hard-won trade relationships with export partners throughout the world, they say.

And the damage is getting worse each day, said Chad Hart, associate professor of economics at Iowa State University. "The longer this goes on, the more of an impact it will have," he said.

Behind the port slowdown ...