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Will there be a toilet paper shortage in 2024? Not from the port strike.

ByVanessa

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Will there be a toilet paper shortage in 2024? Not from the port strike.

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If there is no toilet paper on the shelves during the recent longshoremen's strike, it could be due to panic buying by consumers.

On social media, pictures and videos on TikTok are emerging showing long lines of customers in front of stores with shopping carts full of groceries. Shortages of bottled water, toilet paper and other items are already being reported.

Social media users are claiming that toilet paper is sold out at Costco stores from Arizona and Colorado to New Jersey, with one worker saying his supply sold out an hour after opening, according to Philadelphia news station Fox 29.

A variety of products were available at three of four stores in South Jersey – the Hainesport ShopRite, Target of Centerton Square and Wegmans of Centerton Square. Only Walmart of Lumberton seemed to have a small selection.

While in the store aisles, none of the shoppers appeared to stock up on toilet paper or other goods.

But some people in New Jersey and beyond are reporting empty shelves, presumably related to the International Longshoremen's Association strike.

More: A few hours after the port strike, buyers reported mass hoarding

Lisa Lea said “everything was gone” as she visited Sam's Club in Deptford on Tuesday.

After learning of the strike, Lea was one of seemingly many who headed to their local stores to pick up a few essentials. However, bulk items such as paper towels and toilet paper were cleared out, she said.

Big box stores can be the target of panic buying because consumers may believe that the products they need are more likely to be available at large wholesalers.

In the South Jersey community Facebook groups, many social media users shared a similar message: Don't hoard or panic buy, as that could make things even harder for your friends and neighbors.

A shortage of toilet paper shouldn't be a problem. According to a report from an ABC-affiliated news station in Chicago, the toilet paper supply chain is strong, with about 90% of the toilet paper used in the U.S. coming from domestic factories rather than containers shipped from abroad.

Experts said other items tended to be scarce and more expensive. This includes:

  • Seafood such as cod from Iceland or Canada and shrimp from Thailand and Ecuador. “These are not as easy to transport by train because they are refrigerated and perishable,” UCLA professor and supply chain expert Chris Tang told USA TODAY on Friday.
  • Tang said electronic devices such as cell phones and computers come from Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand instead of China and are transported through ports on the East Coast.
  • Drug. Although air transport is possible, there could be drug shortages if negotiations cannot be completed within a month or so, Tang said.
  • Cars and car parts. The Port of Baltimore is the nation's leader in automobile transportation. European cars come through this port and there could be bottlenecks, experts said. Auto parts from Europe also often pass through ports on the East and Gulf Coasts.
  • Machine parts. East Coast ports outperform others in the U.S. in shipping machinery, manufactured steel and precision instruments, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
  • Bananas. According to Jason Miller of Michigan State University, three-quarters of the country's bananas come through ports on the East and Gulf Coasts. “There is (zero) chance of all of these imports moving across the West Coast, and the low dollar value per unit weight of bananas means it is not economical to transport them on planes,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post. “In addition, you cannot offer a perishable product in advance.”
  • Imported wine and spirits. Imported wines and spirits mostly come from Europe and are transported through ports on the East Coast. According to Frank Pagliaro of Wilmington-based FranksWine, retailers were preparing before the strike. “Suppliers have already started,” Pagliaro wrote on Monday, “telling us to stock up for the holidays as there could be possible shortages.”

Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering community news in South Jersey. Do you have any tips or stories? Contact [email protected]. Subscribe to stay up to date.

(This story has been updated to add a photo gallery)

By Vanessa

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