A dock workers strike that has closed multiple US ports won’t impact Cayman’s supply chain, supermarket chiefs insisted Tuesday as they urged shoppers not to panic buy.
Tens of thousands of dock workers walked off the job this week beginning an indefinite strike that is expected to shutter east and gulf coast ports for weeks.
But Cayman’s three main cargo shipping firms – Hyde Shipping, Seaboard Marine and Tropical Shipping – are not impacted by the strike because their workers are not unionised.
Representatives of Hyde and Tropical, in response to questions from the Compass, confirmed they did not expect any impact on their services as a result of the industrial action.
A spokesperson for Progressives Distributors – which imports food, groceries and pharmaceuticals among other essentials – said it was not expecting any impact.
Despite those assurances, reports from the US of massive disruption to the global supply chain as a result of the industrial action prompted a rush to the stores this week in Cayman.
In an effort to head off the panic buying, four supermarket chains – Kirks, Hurley’s, Foster’s and Cost U less – issued a joint statement indicating that the grocery supply chain “remains stable”.
“Although our stores are not directly affected by the strike, we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure we can continue to provide the products and services our customers depend on. We remain committed to maintaining the stability and reliability of our supply chain during this period and will take all necessary steps to keep our shelves fully stocked,” the statement indicated.
While the statement acknowledged there could be “challenging circumstances”, importers insist they will be able to load and ship here as normal. Cayman’s primary ports from the US are at Riviera Beach and the Port of Miami in Florida.
“Only shipments passing through unionized ports are experiencing delays, and we have no reason to anticipate significant impact on our ability to stock and supply goods,” the supermarkets insisted in their press release.
“Our on-island inventory is fully stocked, and we have built-in redundancies within our supply chain to safeguard against potential disruptions.”
Woody Foster, of the Foster’s chain, said his staff had been in constant dialogue with the shipping and distribution firms in the weeks leading up to the strike.
He said, “We are not anticipating it being a huge issue.”
Heavily stocked
Foster added that the supermarkets were already heavily stocked because of hurricane season. He said it was possible that exports to the US might be impacted by the strike.
The Cayman Islands Port Authority, in a statement issued Tuesday, said it is working with the two major shipping lines that operate between the US and Cayman, and monitoring the situation.
The authority said it will provide regular updates to the Ministry of Ports “if there are any changes or further implications for the Cayman Islands”.
Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and Gulf coasts, halting container traffic from Maine to Texas, the BBC reported.
The action, over pay, marks the first such shutdown in almost 50 years.
More than a third of exports and imports could be affected by the strike, hitting US economic growth to the tune of at least $4.5 billion each week, the BBC reported.
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