Port strike update: Videos of people buying toilet paper in a panic are going viral

Some Americans have stocked up on toilet paper as longshoremen continue their labor disputes, social media posts say.

Multiple videos and images of empty grocery store shelves have surfaced online after longshore workers' strikes, represented by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), began on October 1 at ports on the East and Gulf Coasts. The strike is expected to impact supply chains in the U.S. These ports handle nearly half of all American imports.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a video of empty shelves on X, formerly Twitter.

“Toilet paper is always the first thing to go,” she wrote. “The ILA strike began last night, stopping imports and exports from Maine to Texas. We should not depend on foreign countries for all our needs!” She did not disclose the area or store where the recordings were made. The post was viewed more than 112,000 times.

Journalist Jen Icklan Eckert also reportedly published images showing nearly empty shelves at Costco and Target stores in Monmouth City, New Jersey, with only a few packs of toilet paper left for purchase.

User Arthur Dent posted a similar image and wrote: “Seems people are losing their minds again over toilet paper. Local Walmart was gutted. It’s hard to find a role.”

Greene's post was the subject of a community note from UNS”

Is there a toilet paper shortage due to port strikes?

It is highly unlikely that there will be a toilet paper shortage directly from the port strikes, even if the ILA measures continue beyond next week, since paper towels used in the U.S. are typically produced domestically. According to IndexBox, the U.S. imports only 7.5 percent of its toilet paper.

However, experts warn that other goods may also be affected.

“Goods with high price elasticity, including luxury goods, consumer technology products, cars and apparel – most of which are imported from Asia and Europe – could see price increases,” said Jason Fisk, CEO of SalSon Logistics Newsweekas these categories have been affected by similar supply chain disruptions such as the coronavirus pandemic in the past.

He said consumer electronics, vehicles and perishable goods, including fruits, vegetables and seafood, “could see a more rapid impact due to the complexity and cost of finding alternative supply routes.” According to the US Department of Agriculture, America imported around 60 percent of its total fresh fruit and 38 percent of its vegetables in 2021.

“Shortages should appear within two to three weeks,” Andrew Coggins, clinical professor of management and management science at Pace University, told CBS MoneyWatch. “It's a big deal, especially if it lasts a long time, because so much of what we use every day has traveled by ship or on water at some point in its life, or at least some of the components.”