CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Thousands of workers from 14 different ports along the East Coast and in Houston have gone on strike demanding higher wages and protections from automation.
This has many across the nation worried about access to certain goods.
As many prepare for the unknown, officials at the Port of Corpus Christi say little to no impacts will be seen in our area.
"The ports that will be most affected, it is primarily on the East Coast and then parts of the southeast, so, Houston large impact, but here in Corpus Christi and then even the Port of Brownsville will not have extensive impacts at this time," Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation COO Sarah Tindall said.
Much of that, has to do with what exactly gets imported through the Corpus Christi port.
"Our port primarily imports and exports oil and gas including LNG, liquified natural gas, so those commodities are not impacted by this port strike," she said.
However, there are some individuals that may see a slight change depending on one's choice of transportation.
"The impacts that would happen here would be for folks who work here, have companies here, who are importing through the Port of Houston or some of the other affected ports, so people who get products in through Houston, and then ship them here by rail or send them here by truck, will have impacts," Tindall said.
Communication is key in situations like this, which is why the Port of Corpus Christi Chief of External Affairs Officer Omar Garcia said they have been in regular communication with their port customers, and do not expect disruptions to their operations.
But that story is different on the national scale.
"Everyday, it is estimated that the loss in the national economy is several billions of dollars, so both parties are very motivated and invested in solving this dispute rather quickly," research economist from TAMU-CC Dr. Deniz Gevrek said.
She said retailers and importers have made preparations prior to the looming strike in attempt to get ahead.
"Retailers serving our region and nation, are sophisticated enough and they are well equipped with the resources to handle any supply chain disruptions that would affect our economy," Gevrek said. "They are very well equipped, they were expecting this disruption."