Affected by the toilet paper port strike? Here's what to know before panic-buying supplies.

As the port strike continues into its third day, some consumers are becoming concerned about whether it could lead to toilet paper shortages, prompting some to stock the product from store shelves. But experts say there's no need to worry about toilet paper shortages because most of it is made in the United States.

Some consumers posted photos of empty shelves at major retailers on Thursday, with some noting that shoppers were stuffing toilet paper rolls into their cars. For some, the images suggest a replay of the pandemic's effects in 2020, when supply chain problems caused by health emergencies lead to real shortages of toilet paper and other products.

“You guys … the toilet paper hoarding of 2020 has just returned!” A customer wrote on X, ex-Twitter. “Two Kirkland brand Costcos sold out. Everyone in line had 2 packages and one had 8 packages!! Seriously people, please don't do this again…”

But experts say the situation is different in the dockworkers' strike Close 14 ports Tuesday along the East and Gulf Coasts. Michigan State University professor Jason Miller told CBS News the labor dispute will not affect toilet paper or other supermarket products, such as meat and breakfast cereals, because they are largely produced domestically.

“That's where it's really important for people to understand that this is a very different situation than a global pandemic that we didn't know we were facing, you know, four and a half years ago,” said Miller, the supply chain expert. , said. “There's no reason to panic because of this port strike. You know, everything will be fine.”

U.S. tissue producers supply about 85% of U.S. tissue paper demand, including toilet paper, paper towels, napkins and facial tissues, according to a statement from the American Forest and Paper Association, a trade group for the paper and wood products industry. .

“The American Forest and Paper Association is aware of reports of toilet paper shortages, which some have attributed to the current port strike,” the group's CEO Heidi Brock said in a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch.

He added, “However we continue to insist [International Longshoremen’s Association] And while USMX urges our members to quickly end this strike to restore access to their product exports, we would like to emphasize that we are not aware of any anticipated impact on the supply of tissue products to the United States.”

Can stores impose toilet paper limits?

Ironically, panic-buying or stockpiling can create shortages of toilet paper or other products, although there is little risk of shortages due to port strikes, Miller said.

“I think retailers are going to shut things down again very quickly,” Miller noted. “It would be very effective if some of the big retailers came out and made some public statements about this. You know, Walmart, Target, Costco coming out and saying, 'There's too much supply, we're putting a cap on it, stop it.'”

Walmart, Target, Kroger and Publix did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kimberly-Clark, maker of Cottonell and Scott brand products, said the port strike “is not currently impacting our ability to deliver paper products or other products.”

What items will be affected by the port strike?

That's not to say that some items won't be affected by a labor stoppage, especially if it stretches over weeks rather than days. More than that 100 categories of foodAlong with bananas and chocolate, operations depend on the shutdown now, while imported beverages such as beer and wine are also at risk of shortages if the strike continues.

For example, it may become more expensive to buy bananas on the East Coast, or even find them. Imported wine may also become scarcer, although there will still be plenty of wine on the shelves, as the United States is a major producer.

“If you're on the East or Gulf Coast, I'd say you can get bananas. Bananas,” Miller noted.

Even so, most of what is consumed in the United States is produced domestically, he added.

“Even though there's this narrative that we don't make anything in the United States, we actually make a lot of products,” Miller said. “And especially the supermarket stuff, we make it here, the soaps and detergents you're using are made here in the U.S. You don't have to go buy a year's supply right away thinking it's coming from Europe.”

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