As news of a major port strike across the U.S. hits the headlines, people are panic-buying toilet paper, flooding social media with reports of empty shelves at their local stores. While this scenario feels eerily similar to the shortages we saw during the pandemic, there’s an important fact to understand: There’s no actual shortage of toilet paper caused by the strike. In fact, more than 90% of the toilet paper consumed in the U.S. is produced domestically, and the rest comes primarily from Canada and Mexico — countries where shipments arrive via rail or truck, not through the ports affected by the strike. So why are people hoarding it again? This sudden surge in demand is due to panic buying, not any actual disruption in supply. Fear, uncertainty, and memories of past shortages have triggered this behavior. It’s a classic example of “mob psychology” at work: as soon as people hear about potential shortages, they rush to buy up stock, fearing they’ll be left without. But in reality, those fears are unfounded. While the port strike will likely impact some items, these are mostly perishable goods, such as bananas, which rely heavily on imports through the ports now closed. Bananas, […]
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