Oh, no! Port strike could trigger booze shortage in New Jersey

🍷 The majority of imported beer, wine and spirits arrive at East Coast ports
🍸 Port Newark is a huge importer of spirits
🍌 Fresh fruits and veggies are rotting at Port Philadelphia

The strike by dock workers in New Jersey, Philadelphia and along the entire East Coast shows no signs of ending anytime soon and the possibility of product shortages grows by the day.

Should days turn into weeks, nearly every segment of the retail economy will be impacted. The daily impact to the nations economy is being measured in billions of dollars.

The Port of New York and New Jersey is one of the nations busiest ports and employs more than 4,500 dock workers.

While the strike does involve wage and benefits issues, the biggest reason for the walkout is to ensure ports do not automate the loading and offloading of cargo.

Most economists expect it will take about a month before the strike will start impacting supplies and prices, but once it does nearly every type of product will be effected.

First effects: produce, especially bananas

Importers of non-perishable goods have been stockpiling supplies for weeks to prepare for a prolonged strike. Importers of food and other perishables didn't have that luxury.

That's why consumers may first notice the effects of a long strike in the grocery store.

While the Port of Philadelphia handles the import and expert of a wide variety of products, they lead the nation in the import of fresh fruits and vegetables.

None of that cargo is being offloaded.

A Washington-based produce importer told The Orange County Register, "Any fruit that arrives after 1 October will be condemned to the trash can."

Perhaps the first thing to vanish from store shelves: bananas.

Roughly two-thirds of bananas in the U.S. arrive in East Coast ports, including Philadelphia.

Booze shortage

Among the other goods not getting unloaded at the Port of New York and New Jersey: booze.

About 80% of all imported beer, wine and spirits arrive at East Coast ports. 60% of the nation's rum supply is shipped to the East Coast.

It is a major portion of the cargo offloaded at Newark.

While supplies of domestic beer, wine and spirits will not be severely impacted, supplies of foreign wines and spirits will quickly dry up.

Imported beer, French and Italian wines, scotch, tequila, rum, vodka and gin wont be making it from the docks to your local liquor store anytime soon.

Toys and electronics for the holidays

If your child is asking Santa for a new video game system, electronic toys or sporting equipment, you may want to temper expectations.

A good portion of those goods are all shipped first to New Jersey and New York before making their way to the North Pole.

Retailers already began stockpiling supplies ahead of the dock worker strike, but a prolonged walkout will eventually effect supplies and could make finding the hottest toys and games difficult as the holiday shopping season arrives.

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