Overview

• Dockworkers at 36 ports from Maine to Texas are set to strike on October 1 if contract negotiations fail.
• The strike could cost the U.S. economy up to $5 billion per day and create significant supply chain disruptions.
• Retailers warn of empty shelves and rising prices, especially during the critical holiday season.
• President Biden faces pressure to intervene, but the administration has so far refrained from invoking emergency powers.
• The strike's timing, weeks before the presidential election, adds political uncertainty and potential economic fallout.