Will Steep Drop in Shipments Mean Empty Missouri Store Shelves?

I'm seeing alarming speculation about what a steep drop in shipments being received at American ports will mean for store shelves in our part of America in a few weeks, but is it true? Will Missouri store shelves really be empty in weeks or is this just another conspiracy theory? The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Let's start with the facts that we know and can prove

It is true that many ports on the west coast especially are seeing a big drop in shipments. CNBC just reported that the Port of Los Angeles saw a drop of 35% in just the past week.

Now, let's look at what is being speculated the cause and effect of this drop in shipments might be

I've seen some shares on social media that estimate that this big drop in shipments will lead to empty store shelves even in Midwestern states like Missouri. Many are saying we're only weeks away from a panic once store shelves are empty.

Here's why you shouldn't panic - yet (or over)

The same report that confirmed the 35% drop in shipments on the west coast goes on to say that experts do NOT believe this will result in empty store shelves. The analogy they gave was that instead of no products on shelves, you might have a harder time to find a certain color of short in a size that fits you, but you'll still find shirts.

I think the main concern is about food and vital daily life supplies. Anyone want to relive the toilet paper shortages of 2020? Me neither and there's no reason we should have to. While it's true that we do depend on many imports, I have yet to find a reputable report that can confirm any imminent shortage of vital supplies is likely.

There are enough real challenges that we're all dealing with this year without overreacting to imaginary ones. There's nothing wrong with having emergency supplies in case of a crisis, but panic buying like we saw 5 years ago may create a problem that doesn't need to happen.