Which products are affected by the port strike? What it could mean for you

A dockworker strike at ports across the country could cause delays in the U.S. supply chain, experts say.

The strike, which led to the closure of 14 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts on Tuesday, October 1, comes after labor negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX ) have reached a dead end message.

With about 25,000 workers affected, hubs such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans have been closed, meaning the flow of goods through the areas has come to a standstill, the Associated Press reported.

“First and foremost, we can expect delays in getting to market,” Mark Baxa, president of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, told the AP. “And those delays really depend on what the goods are, what the priorities are at the ports and how quickly things are moving.”

Items that could cause supply disruptions include cars, fruits and vegetables, and coffee, the AP reports.

Brunswick, Georgia and Baltimore are two of the country’s busiest motor ports, while New Orleans handles coffee from South America and Southeast Asia, chemicals from Mexico and Northern Europe, and wood products from Asia and South America.

In addition, according to CNN, the supply of wine, beer and spirits could be affected.

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Brian Pacula, a supply chain partner at a consulting firm, warned Business Insider that furniture and tires, which are non-perishable and therefore don’t need to be rerouted as urgently, are at risk of getting stuck at ports.

Meanwhile in separate interviews with The Wall Street Journal And The New York TimesImporters said they were considering flying in certain fruits and vegetables, which would increase costs for them and at the grocery store.

The strike is the first such work stoppage in 47 years and is already causing congestion in shipping lanes near Savannah, Georgia due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, CNBC reported.

A strike that lasts longer than a month could lead to shortages of items, experts said, but also acknowledged that many retail goods for the holiday have already arrived in the United States.

“A disruption of a week or two will create some backlogs, but the widespread impact will be minimal outside of some very port-dependent areas, including Savannah,” Adam Kamins, an economist at Moody’s Analytics, told CNBC. “But anything that takes longer will lead to shortages and increasing price pressure.”