Port strikes 2024: Full list of items at risk of shortages and prices rises as dockworkers strike over 80% pay hike

Dockworkers who have shut down 36 ports from Maine to Texas will cost the US economy billions of dollars - and cause shortages of goods and price rises within days, experts warn.

The strike, which began on Monday night, will first hit perishable imports like bananas, and then avocados, pineapples and fruit juices. 

Beer, wine, and spirits will also facing challenges due to their perishable nature. 

If the walkout lasts more than a few weeks, a work stoppage could lead to higher prices and delays in a wide range of goods reaching households and businesses. 

Some goods could arrive late for peak holiday shopping season - potentially impacting delivery of anything from toys and artificial Christmas trees to cars, coffee and fruit.

The International Longshoremen's Association is demanding a pay rise that works out at about 77 percent over six years for its 45,000 striking members. For union members on a typical rate, their wage would go from $81,120 to around $143,520.  

Brian Pacula, a supply-chain partner at West Monroe, pointed to bananas as the  product that will be most affected by the ongoing disruptions.

The ports affected by the strike handle 3.8 million metric tons of bananas each year, or 75 percent of the nation's supply, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Jason Miller, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University, identified other perishable items at risk, including dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, and more than 80 per cent of fruit juices. 

Analysts from Jefferies have say that European manufacturers will be hit harder than  their Asian counterparts. 

Notably, European toymakers like Playmobil and Lego predominantly rely on eastern US ports. Rivals such as Jakks and Funko import through the West Coast. 

The strike will also create traffic jams at ports on the West Coast, where workers are represented by a different union. 

Railroads say they can ramp up to carry more freight from the West Coast, but analysts say they can´t move enough to make up for the closed Eastern ports.

JP Morgan estimated that a strike that shuts down East and Gulf coast ports could cost the economy $3.8 billion to $4.5 billion per day, with some of that recovered over time after normal operations resume.

Retailers, auto parts suppliers and produce importers had hoped for a settlement or that President Joe Biden would intervene and end the strike using the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows him to seek an 80-day cooling off period.

But during a Sunday exchange with reporters, Biden, who has worked to court union votes for Democrats, said 'no' when asked if he planned to intervene in the potential work stoppage.

In an update Tuesday morning, the White House maintained that administration officials were working 'around the clock' to help negotiations move forward - which included being in direct contact with both USMX and ILA. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also 'closely monitoring' potential supply chain impacts, the White House added, enlisting a task force to meet daily and prepare for any disruptions.

Retail expert Neil Saunders of Global Data told DailyMail.om that the strike will cause two main problems - shoppers will face higher prices and empty shelves. 

He said: 'First, it will push up costs for retailers and, therefore, prices for consumers. 

'Second, it could lead to shortages of some products if retailers’ stock get stuck in the supply chain. Unfortunately, the strike is at the busiest time of the year for retail, a time when there is not much slack in the system.

'Many retailers have made plans to mitigate strike action, including rerouting products to West Coast ports and using air freight. 

'However, retailers can’t do this for every product and utilizing these options still costs them more money, so it is only a partial solution at best.

'Basically, the country is very reliant on the smooth running of the ports and disruption will come with a very heavy economic cost.'

'First and foremost, we can expect delays to market,' said Mark Baxa, president of the council of supply chain management professionals. 

The International Longshoremen's Association is demanding a pay rise that works out at about 77 percent over six years.

They also want a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 US ports. 

The contract expires between the International Longshoremen´s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, on Tuesday. 

The two sides haven't held negotiations since June. A strike by the ILA workers would be the first by the union since 1977.

While any port can handle any type of goods, some ports are specialized to handle goods for a particular industry. 

The ports that would be affected by the shutdown include 

• Baltimore and Brunswick, Georgia, the top two busiest auto ports
• Philadelphia, which gives priority to fruits and vegetables
• New Orleans, which handles coffee, mainly from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, and wood products such as plywood from Asia and South America.

Other major ports affected include Boston; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Houston.

Retailers accounting for about half of all container shipping volume have been busily implementing backup plans as they head into their all-important winter holiday sales season.

Many of the big players rushed in Halloween and Christmas merchandise early to avoid any strike-related disruptions, incurring extra costs to ship and store those goods.

Retail behemoth Walmart, the largest U.S. container shipper, and membership warehouse club operator Costco say they are doing everything they can to mitigate any impact.