Despite the Oct. 3 suspension of the dockworkers’ strike at U.S. ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, the strike’s disrupting effect will likely slow the federal and local governments’ replenishment of emergency shelter and medical equipment needed to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Helene.
Exiger’s latest Client Alert, Longshoremen Strike Ends: Impacts on Hurricane Relief Remain, details the latest shipping and supply chain impacts from the 3-day strike. Notable takeaways from Exiger’s analysis of relevant shipment data include:
- Since Jan. 2024, the affected East and Gulf Coast ports have received 1.88 million shipments of FEMA-designated sheltering items and public health articles and commodities. In Aug. 2024, the same ports received 122,000 shipments of these goods.
- 16% of the 1.88 million shipments were articles and commodities specifically labeled as “sheltering items.” Another 28% in total were consumable medical supplies (14%) and durable medical equipment (14%).
Two healthcare items are likely to see supply strains in the near term:
- Lidocaine: Despite a drop in June, Exiger observed shipments containing lidocaine flowing through the impacted ports in August and September, and it’s highly likely that these continued into last week. Used to numb painful mouth sores, lidocaine had already seen significant shortages across the U.S. as enteroviruses have plagued schools, forcing many pharmacies to resort to alternative, insufficient, over-the counter measures.
- Antibiotics (including the top 10 generics): Flooding introduces a heightened risk of bacterial infections. High use of government antibiotic stockpiles is thus expected in the coming weeks as emergency management officials respond to the destruction of Hurricane Helene.
For more details and analysis, access the full Client Alert, Longshoremen Strike Ends: Impacts on Hurricane Relief Remain, by providing your information in the form.
