Earlier this week, some 45,000 port workers located on the East and Gulf coasts went on strike, calling for an increase in compensation, as well as, protection from the possibility of automation in the future. As dockworkers and longshoremen took this major step in their fight, toilet paper shortages are popping up across the country.
For many Americans, these shortages are reminiscent of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, where grocery store shelves were picked clean of many paper goods. However, the port strikes should not be the cause of your worries.
“Almost none of it [toilet paper] moved through the ports that are shut today,” CNN said about the strikes.
The U.S. port strikes impacted 36 major waterfronts across the country, and began following the expiration of the workers’ previous contracts with their bosses.
The recent toilet paper shortage was caused by panic buying in anticipation for possible shortages, without any evidence shortages were coming.
The vast majority of U.S. toilet paper comes from domestic factories, according to CNN, with the rest coming from Canada and Mexico, which are both accessible by trucks.
“If anything, the strike could result in a glut of toilet paper. Not a shortage,” CNN said.
Which imports are at risk due to the port strike?
Although the toilet paper may be fine, that does not mean there is nothing to fear with the current strikes, which have the capacity to go on for weeks or even longer. According to The Hill, labor experts believe the port strikes could lead to an estimated loss of $5 billion a day.
Exporters may hurt the most, according to Arthur Wheaton, Director of Labor Studies at Cornell University, as companies that manufacture in the U.S. and mainly sell in other countries will have trouble sending out their products. The Hill cites BMW factories in South Carolina as a prime example.
Perishable goods that Americans rely on imports for, such as bananas, may also be affected. Nearly 75% of the U.S. banana supply comes from imports shut down by the latest strikes, according to data from the American Farm Bureau Federation. More than a quarter of all bananas come into the U.S. through one Delaware port, which has now been closed due to the strikes.
Ports shut down by these strikes also handle 85% of canned foodstuff, 82% of hot peppers and 80% of chocolate, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. 80% of all imported wine, beer, scotch and whiskey, could be impacted, as well as 60% of all rum.
The American Farm Bureau Federation warns that oversupply may turn into a problem for farmers, particularly in commodities such as meat, poultry, soybeans and cotton, because the “strike would create backlogs of exports.”
Toilet paper, being the opposite of a perishable good, will last as long as it is needed. If you did panic buy, trust that your hoard will be safe.
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