US port workers with the International Longshoremen's Association are on strike following the expiration of their In the latest development of the ongoing labor dispute, the work stoppage at Eastern and Gulf Coast facilities is expected to impact a host of consumer products. Atlantic ports handle more than half of US imports, with an estimated economic impact of $540 million per day, according to . While some companies have managed to work ahead of the impending deadline, accelerating shipments or routing to West Coast ports, others are in a tighter spot.
A wide range of everyday items could be affected Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those coming from Central and South America, are expected to be most impacted by the strike, said Margaret Kidd, program manager and associate professor of supply chain and logistics at the University of Houston. Top of the list: "Grocery stores and others in the supply chain aren't holding a lot of inventory because they don't want them to expire," Brian Pacula, a supply chain partner at consulting firm West Monroe, told Business Insider of bananas. Tim Ryan, a Florida importer who supplies grocers including Walmart, The Wall Street Journal he's having to fly in asparagus from Peru that he would ordinarily bring through the port of Miami.
Other food and beverage commodities, including beer, wine, and spirits could also be impacted because of their perishable nature, Pacula said. European manufacturers are expected to face more disruptio.