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'People need to calm down'

    Shoppers feeling the urge to come out of their homes to buy dozens of rolls of toilet paper in response to the ongoing union dockworkers strike may want to wait: They could be part of the problem.

    When 45,000 union workers walked off their jobs on Tuesday because negotiations for a new contract collapsed, 36 ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast were effectively closed. These ports handled about half of all U.S. imports, and while an abrupt shutdown could trigger flashbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, bath tissue is not among the products expected to be directly affected by the strike.

    According to the North Carolina State College of Natural Resources, more than 99% of tissue products used by Americans are produced in the US. And nearly 90% of U.S. tissue manufacturers use recycled paper to make their products, according to the American Forest & Paper Association, the trade group that represents paper and wood manufacturers.

    The debate over toilet paper has prompted at least one supermarket chain to release a statement to curb panic buying.

    “Our suppliers' paper products are made in the USA and are not affected by the current strike at the Port,” popular Southern retailer Publix said in a statement to Atlanta local WXIA. “However, our customers can help us and their neighbors by purchasing only the items they need. This can prevent temporary shortages.”

    Alcohol, bananas, seafood: Which products could be affected by a prolonged port strike?

    At Brown's ShopRite in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, there was still plenty of toilet paper available on October 2, 2024, although the shelves were beginning to empty.At Brown's ShopRite in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, there was still plenty of toilet paper available on October 2, 2024, although the shelves were beginning to empty.

    At Brown's ShopRite in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, there was still plenty of toilet paper available on October 2, 2024, although the shelves were beginning to empty.

    'People need to calm down and stop buying'

    U.S. manufacturers produce billions of rolls of consumer-grade toilet paper each year, which is more than enough for shoppers, Ronalds Gonzalez, associate professor in NC State's Department of Forest Biomaterials, told a school publication.

    Fabric supply problems arise when consumers panic buy and deplete the inventory of supermarkets and other retailers, who often only have a few weeks' supply in their warehouses.

    “People need to calm down and stop buying more than they need so that supplies can remain stable,” Gonzalez said.

    Some toilet paper manufacturers use eucalyptus pulp, including U.S.-based Georgia-Pacific, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark, according to the College of Natural Resources. Eucalyptus pulp, imported from Brazil, contains short fibers that make toilet paper soft and absorbent.

    Even if access to eucalyptus pulp is limited, consumers should at least be able to buy commercial-grade toilet paper made from recycled paper, said Gonzalez, who added that even commercial-grade tissue is not immune to panic buying.

    Which products will be affected by the union strike?

    The strike represents the International Longshoremen's Association's (ILA) first since 1977. While toilet paper, paper towels, gasoline, crude oil, natural gas and other liquid fuels are not expected to be affected immediately, a litany of products could see impacts. .

    Chris Tang, a professor specializing in supply chain management at the University of California, Los Angeles, previously told USA TODAY about a number of items where shortages or price increases may occur.

    • Seafood: Perishable products such as cod from Iceland or Canada and shrimp from Thailand and Ecuador are not easily transported by train because they need to be kept refrigerated.

    • Electronics: Cell phones and computers, which now come from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand instead of China, are routed through ports on the east coast.

    • Pharmaceutical products: Although these are more easily shipped by air, consumers may notice a shortage of medications if negotiations cannot be arranged within a month or so.

    • Cars and car parts: European cars shipped via containers and auto parts often pass through ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast. According to experts, the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, is the nation's leader in auto shipments.

    • Machine partsAccording to S&P Global Market Intelligence, East Coast ports outpace others in the U.S. in shipments of machinery, fabricated steel and precision instruments.

    • Alcohol: Wine, beer and spirits imported from Europe, South America or the Caribbean could face shortages.

    • BananasAbout 75% of the country's bananas arrive through ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, said Jason Miller, interim chairman of Michigan State University's department of supply chain management. Also, because the fruit is perishable, it is not cost-effective to ship it by air, Miller wrote in a LinkedIn post.

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where is toilet paper made? The strike in the port is unlikely to have any consequences