US shoppers start to ‘stock up’ on essentials as port strikes pressure prices to go ‘higher than ever’

As American shipping ports from Texas to Maine prepare for a potential strike, consumers are beginning to stock up on essential supplies as experts warn the industry conflict could cause shortages and price hikes on everyday items.

“If there’s a strike, prices in the supermarkets will go up higher than ever,” Gristedes and D’Agostino Supermarkets Chairman and CEO John Catsimatidis said on “Varney & Co.” Monday.

“I wasn’t prepared because I didn’t know [about the strike], but now that I do, I’ll investigate. I’ll look into it,” one woman told FOX Business’ Madison Alworth on Friday at a Gristedes store in New York City. “I would stock up as much, not ridiculously, but at least try to get a few more items to have just in case.”

“Yes, I am [worried],” another shopper told Alworth. “It’s hard to be able to make ends meet as it is. It’s going to be even worse.”

LONGSHOREMEN UNION’S DEMAND FOR TOTAL BAN ON AUTOMATION QUESTIONED AS PORT STRIKE LOOMS

Unionized dockworkers in the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents 45,000 members at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, may go on strike beginning Oct. 1 if an agreement isn’t reached by the end of Monday.

The two sides to the labor dispute have been at an impasse over issues including wages and automation at ports. A strike would likely have a domino effect on container availability, storage, rail and truck cargo as well as food supply.

“You have the Suez Canal closed down, the Red Sea is closed down. If you have a strike on the East Coast, that’s going to be closed down. Guess what? Prices are going to go to the moon,” Catsimatidis warned.

A third shopper said they “haven’t had any trouble” yet stocking up on essentials, but plan to “keep an eye on what’s going on.”

The fourth shopper FOX Business spoke with said they’ll “probably most likely stock up” to avoid potential inventory shortages like the ones seen during the COVID pandemic, but buy things “day by day.”

“I’ve been so busy I haven’t been [adjusting my shopping habits], but if I hadn’t been busy, I’d probably be shopping in Westchester and bringing the food down here because it’s much cheaper up there,” one of the earlier shoppers said. “The prices are already so high I feel because of the current administration, and I think it’s just going to get worse.”

With an analysis from J.P. Morgan estimating a strike would cost the U.S. economy up to $5 billion per day, Catsimatidis argued the optics couldn’t look worse for the Biden administration and Harris-Walz campaign.

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“This is not going to be very good for Vice President Harris because she’s depending on lower prices. Well, guess what? There is no price gouging if prices will go higher than ever,” the grocery giant said.

“Where is this administration?” he posited. “Prices will go higher than ever. [Biden] should put a halt on it ’til at least after the election.”

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FOX Business’ Suzanne O’Halloran contributed to this report.