Port strike leads to panic-buying, but experts say theres no need [Video]

While the major port strike on the East Coast and Gulf Coast could threaten Americans’ supply of bananas, it likely won’t directly cause a toilet paper shortage — but that hasn’t stopped consumers from panic-buying the product.

After thousands of members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) stopped working and started striking Tuesday for a substantial pay increase and protections from automation after years of record profits for the shipping companies that employ them, users started taking to social media to document what many have deemed a toilet paper shortage.

“Hope you have some toilet paper stock piled. It’s started. Sam’s and Costco are depleted,” one user said on the social platform X, with a photo of near-empty shelves.

“My husband and I went to Costco tonight. There was no toilet paper,” another user posted on X. “The remaining paper towels were flying off the shelves. So many people were grabbing 2 or 3 big packages.”

But the shortage isn’t necessarily …