© Kenishirotie
04/10/2024
Americans concerned over personal hygiene following the start of the port strike have reportedly panic-bought toilet rolls, again.
Several Costco stores reportedly sold out of the much-used commodity in Brooklyn, New York; Clifton, New Jersey; Norwalk, Connecticut; and Gilbert, Arizona, while Walmart stores in Lindale, Texas, and Boonton, New Jersey, also sold out, according to Marketplace.
However, as Yao J, an associate professor of supply chain management at Miami University, pointed out on social media, 90% of the toilet paper used by US citizens is made domestically. The other 10% is imported mostly from China and Canada – neither of which uses east and Gulf coast ports.
He added that, in fact, it was people in other countries that should have been stockpiling toilet paper: the US exports it primarily to Canada, Poland and Mexico.
“Among these people, only the Polish have even a shred of a reason to panic buy-toilet paper – specifically, US toilet paper,” he added.
And now the strike is over, he said: “I guess stores are about to get a bunch of toilet paper returns.
“Polish fans of American toilet paper can breathe easier now.”
However, a Polish citizen pointed out that, in fact the US is one of Poland’s fastest-growing markets for toilet paper – so if there is another strike in January, maybe American fans of Polish toilet paper should stock up.
