Large-Scale Port Union Strike... "Worry About Import Disruptions"
Industry Says "Most Paper Products Are Domestically Produced, So It's Okay"
Recently, concerns have been raised about potential import disruptions due to a large-scale strike by dockworkers on the U.S. East Coast. As a result, major supermarkets across the United States are experiencing a shortage of toilet paper, reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic period.
On the 3rd (local time), CNN introduced photos posted on social media showing empty shelves at major stores such as Walmart and Costco, reporting that it "evokes nightmares from the pandemic era." Various accounts on X (formerly Twitter) posted videos and photos showing empty toilet paper and paper towel aisles in large supermarkets.
Concerns about toilet paper shortages are a common consumer reaction during social crises. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., shoppers also hoarded toilet paper in large quantities. CNN reported, "The experience of shortages and purchase limits during the 2020 pandemic period led to a herd mentality rushing to stockpile." Local media analyze that this hoarding is a result of the East Coast dockworkers' strike, which lasted three days starting from the 1st.
Earlier, 36 port workers located along the southeastern coast of the United States simultaneously went on strike starting at midnight on the 1st. This simultaneous strike is the first in 47 years since 1977. These ports handle about half of the total maritime cargo volume in the U.S., so if the strike prolongs beyond a week, there are concerns that imports could be paralyzed, causing chaos in the domestic logistics supply chain, which has led to panic buying. In fact, these ports suffered significant losses due to the strike. Experts estimate that the strike could cause daily losses of $3.8 billion to $4.5 billion (approximately 5 to 6 trillion KRW) to the U.S. economy.
In response, the local industry has sought to calm consumer fears. The industry states, "More than 85% of toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and facial tissues used in the U.S. are produced domestically, so there should be no shortage caused by imports being stuck due to the port strike." The American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA), composed of major companies manufacturing toilet paper, facial tissues, paper towels, and other pulp-based products such as Charming, also firmly stated, "There are no signs that the strike is affecting the supply of toilet paper products nationwide."
However, experts pointed out that if the strike continues for more than a week, fresh foods such as bananas, rather than manufactured goods like toilet paper, could become problematic. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bananas, the most popular fruit in the U.S., rely almost entirely on imports for their supply, and more than half of the imported bananas pass through the ports involved in the strike.
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