Tens of thousands of dockworkers from Maine to Texas walked off the job this week, bringing major port operations on the East and Gulf coasts to a halt. From bananas to sneakers, goods that would have flowed through these vital shipping hubs are now stuck in limbo. This strike, the first for the International Longshoremen’s Association since 1977, won’t cause immediate pain for consumers, as businesses have been stockpiling goods in anticipation of a potential strike. However, if this disruption drags on for weeks, the ripple effects will hit hard, with prices soaring and shelves running bare.
Economic experts are already sounding the alarm. The Conference Board estimates the strike could cost the U.S. economy nearly $3.8 billion every week it continues, or about $540 million each day. Just one week of a shutdown could create supply chain bottlenecks lasting through mid-November. With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, the timing couldn’t be worse. Retailers may have been prepared for the initial blow, but the longer this goes on, the more severe the consequences will become for the economy at large.
The scale of potential damage is staggering. The ports along the East and Gulf coasts handle 57 percent of the country’s incoming and outgoing goods. That includes essential items like 75 percent of dairy products, 70 percent of coffee and spices, and more than 60 percent of cosmetics. The American Apparel & Footwear Association notes that 40 percent of U.S. footwear came through these ports last year, and the 2024 numbers aren’t far behind. With the ports now idle, that backlog is going to hit consumers where it hurts: higher prices and empty store shelves.
Food supply chains are particularly vulnerable. A huge percentage of the country’s bananas, cherries, canned foods, and chocolate come through these ports. If this strike continues, grocery stores could start looking pretty bare. For manufacturers, the consequences are just as dire. Parts and raw materials needed for production will get stuck at sea, grinding factory lines to a halt. Farmers trying to ship their goods abroad will face delays that could result in lost sales. No industry is immune from the fallout.
Americans in Puerto Rico are poised to feel the worst of the impact. More than 85 percent of the island’s food comes from the mainland U.S., and 90 percent of those shipments flow through the very ports now shut down by the strike. If the situation isn’t resolved quickly, Puerto Rico could face a real crisis. While retailers and manufacturers brace for disruption, it’s the everyday Americans, particularly those in Puerto Rico, who could end up paying the steepest price.
