(CBS DETROIT) – Ports across the east and gulf coasts have shut down as the strike of 45,000 dockworkers wraps up the second day Wednesday night.
The strike could eventually impact food and goods , but depending on how long it lasts, it could also impact the auto industry.
Experts said consumers should not overreact. Any impacts will not be like the supply chain issues consumers saw in 2020.
However, if the strike lasts two or three weeks, it could have bigger impacts, including on autoworkers and those looking to buy or repair a car.
Jason Miller, a supply chain management professor at Michigan State University, said Michigan’s auto sector isn’t as exposed as other parts of the country.
“We are far less affected than, let’s say, the German auto plants down in South Carolina and Alabama,” Miller said.
Miller said that in Michigan, most auto imports come from other parts of the U.S. or Canada. Imports from China come through ports on the West Coast that aren’t impacted by the strike.