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People are hoarding toilet paper again. But there's no need to panic buy.

Oct 3, 2024
Port shutdowns stirred fears of supply shortages this week. Luckily, most of the TP Americans use is produced in the U.S.
The shelves were almost bare of toilet paper back in 2020.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

"This couldn’t have come at a worse time": Exporters brace for port strike delays

Oct 3, 2024
There's only so much capacity to store backed-up products, including foodstuffs.
The longer the port strike, the more expensive it will be for farmers to store their products waiting to be exported, says senior KPMG economist Meagan Schoenberger.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Will port strikes lead to food shortages? Consumer, business behavior both play role

Oct 3, 2024
If the strike drags on, some imported items could run low. How quickly that happens depends in part on retailers' and consumers' ability to stock up.
If customers rush to stock up, it will "create scarcity more quickly," say experts.
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With East Coast and Gulf ports closed by the strike, West Coast ports are busier than usual

Oct 3, 2024
For months, shippers have been insuring against strike delays by sending their cargo to the other side of the continent.
California's Port of Long Beach side handled 913,000 shipping containers last month, about 18% more than normal.
Art Wager/Getty Images

Longshoremen strike for better pay and to stop automation

Oct 2, 2024
About a hundred striking longshoremen marched by one of the terminals in the port of Baltimore. Some carried signs that say “machines don’t feed families.”
Longshoremen on strike at the Port of Baltimore on Oct. 1, 2024.
Stephanie Hughes for Marketplace

Port strike stalls truckers as well as deliveries

Oct 1, 2024
Drivers are seeking alternate income sources as their regular work grinds to a halt. Some are doing maintenance on their vehicles.
The longshoremen's work stoppage has idled legions of trucks that haul goods to and from U.S. ports.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

At issue in the longshoremen's strike: How much automation is appropriate at ports?

Oct 1, 2024
Automation at U.S. ports on the East and Gulf Coasts tends to lag behind that at the West Coast, Asian and European ports.
Around 80 longshoremen striking in the rain at the Port of Baltimore on Oct. 1. Baltimore is the farthest inland port on the east coast, and is known for importing cars, farm equipment, gypsum, and sugar.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace

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A dockworkers strike is days away. What would it mean for the economy?

The deadline for negotiations between the union representing dockworkers and the ports is next week.
Wesley Lapointe for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Looming port strike could slam a fragile system, says customs broker

Sep 25, 2024
Dockworkers may act as soon as Tuesday, potentially disrupting the supply chain and costing the economy $5 billion daily.
Dockworkers may go on strike at East and Gulf coast ports starting next week.
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