Longshoremen strike 2024: Toilet paper made in the U.S.

UPDATE: The union representing the striking dockworkers reached a deal on Thursday, Oct. 3 to suspend the strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract. The union’s members will resume working immediately. The original story continues as published below:

On Oct. 1, 45,000 dockworkers at 36 U.S. ports went on strike over wages and automation. As a result, people across the country started stocking up on groceries and other essential items in fear of a shortage. 

Numerous posts on social media show empty shelves in stores after people purchased large amounts of toilet paper. One TikTok video with over 500,000 views says to “stop panicking and buying up all the toilet paper” because “it’s all made in the good ole USA!”

Is toilet paper imported?

No, the majority of toilet paper is manufactured in the United States.

The vast majority of toilet paper used in the U.S. is produced in the U.S., not imported from other countries.

“We do not expect a major impact in the supply of tissue paper because of the port strike,” as “about 95%” of toilet paper is manufactured in the U.S., Ronalds Gonzalez, associate professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State, said.

Major toilet paper manufacturers Georgia-Pacific, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, all have production facilities in the U.S.

Scott says 2 million rolls are produced daily at its largest manufacturer in Chester, Pennsylvania. The company adds that the “vast majority of Scott toilet paper and paper towels are manufactured in the United States,” with manufacturers located in Mobile, Alabama, Beech Island, South Carolina, and Jenks, Oklahoma.

“Our suppliers’ paper products are made in the U.S. and not impacted by the current port strike,” grocery store chain Publix told VERIFY partner station 11Alive.

The strike could still have a delayed impact on household toilet paper manufacturing in the U.S., because eucalyptus fiber and bamboo fiber, which are used to produce toilet paper, are imported from other countries, like Brazil and China.

The lack of access to these materials may become an issue if the strike lasts longer than three or four weeks, Gonzales says. If this happens, consumers can instead use professional hygiene tissue paper, which is generally less soft and found in places like fast food restaurants and hospitals, and is made using recycled paper that is collected and manufactured in the U.S. This type of toilet paper is typically sold in bulk, but can be found in stores like Walmart or Home Depot.

“The port strike is not currently impacting our ability to supply our paper products or other products. We took measures to prepare our supply chain in advance of the strike and will continue to actively monitor and respond to the situation,” a spokesperson for Kimberly-Clark told VERIFY.

Currently, the main threat to toilet paper supply is consumer behavior, with people buying more products than they should, impacting the supply of raw materials available, Gonzales added.