Port Strike Could Reignite Toilet Paper Shortage — But Don’t Panic, Expert Says

Thousands of dockworkers have gone on strike at ports across the East and Gulf coasts over wages and the use of automation, potentially disrupting America’s supply of toilet paper.

Reports of toilet paper shortages surfaced on social media just a day after the strike began due to people panic-buying large amounts of household goods at retail stores like Costco and Target.

But panic-buying isn’t the only concern for the supply chain. The port strike itself could trigger a shortage depending on how long it lasts, according to Ronalds Gonzalez, an associate professor of forest biomaterials at NC State.

“If it takes one or two weeks for the strike to end, there could be delays that affect raw materials,” said Gonzalez, who monitors technological and sustainability developments in the toilet paper industry.

More specifically, the strike could delay shipments of the eucalyptus pulp used by Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Georgia-Pacific and other toilet paper manufacturers across the United States.

While more than 99% of tissue products used by Americans are produced in the U.S., manufacturers rely heavily on eucalyptus pulp imported from Brazil. Eucalyptus pulp contains short fibers that make toilet paper soft and absorbent. The pulp is mixed with water to create a liquid sludge that is dried and flattened into sheets of paper.

American manufacturers produce billions of roles of consumer-grade toilet paper each year — more than enough for shoppers, according to Gonzalez. But grocery stores and other retailers usually only keep several weeks’ worth of toilet paper in their warehouses, meaning sudden increases in demand can quickly deplete stocks.

In a worst-case scenario where the port strike delays shipments of eucalyptus pulp to U.S. manufacturers, Gonzalez said shoppers should be able to at least find commercial-grade toilet paper, which is made from locally-sourced recycled paper, if they can avoid panic-buying.

“People need to calm down and stop buying more than what they need,” Gonzalez said. “If they can do that, inventories will increase and remain stable.”