From what I’m reading, the troubles should start to pick up now; harbors being quieter, truckers not having work, … Are any shortages noticeable yet?

ETA:

Source: https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/trump-is-a-virus

Businesses have been filling their inventories. That’s ending now. Economic pain in terms of job losses should accelerate now. It will still take up to a few weeks before inventories run empty, and the full impact hits consumers. Even a full reversal of Trumpism couldn’t prevent knock-on effects that last into next year.

  • magic_lobster_party@fedia.io
    9·
    6 days ago

    Toilet paper shortage in stores was a global phenomenon. It’s seems like during times of crisis, people buy toilet paper. The grocery stores just weren’t prepared for everybody to buy toilet paper at the same time. They couldn’t keep up with the restocking.

    There was no real shortage in toilet paper in terms of production.

    • Rhaedas@fedia.io
      71·
      6 days ago

      It occurred just like gasoline shortages occur. If the media doesn’t make headlines that suggest buying as much as you can immediately, even if there is a supply chain problem things can adjust to meet normal demands. But when everyone takes all the stock at the same time, even a running production can’t keep up with that demand in a just-in-time system. I experienced a local fuel shortage before because of news of a damaged oil pipeline far away, and gas became unavailable for a few days, then started filling back up, all long before the pipeline issue would have affected us.

      “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.”

    • faltryka@lemmy.world
      4·
      6 days ago

      It was a global impact, the US is a significant exporter of toilet paper. 99% of our domestic use is locally manufactured AND we export a considerable volume to the rest of the world.

      Believe it or not TP is big business here in the US and one of a few industries where we still have a lot of traditional manufacturing jobs. Georgia-Pacific and Kimberly Clark for example.

      • Maeve@kbin.earth
        5·
        6 days ago

        Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia,[2] and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towel dispensers, packaging, building products and related chemicals, and other forest products—largely made from its own timber.[3][4] Since 2005, it has been an independently operated and managed subsidiary of Koch Industries. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia-Pacific

        Kimberly-Clark shares are mainly held by institutional investors (The Vanguard Group, BlackRock, State Street Corporation, and others).[32] Its subsidiaries include Kimberly-Clark Professional. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberly-Clark