The longer the B.C. port strike lasts, the more you can expect to pay. Here’s why

The longer a strike at B.C. ports goes on, the more delays Canadians will face on shipments and the higher prices they could pay as retailers adapt to new supply chain snarls.

A strike among B.C. cargo loaders at some of Canada’s biggest ports might push prices higher for consumers across the country if the work stoppage stretches much longer, experts say.

The strike, which began Saturday morning and was in its fourth day on Tuesday, is snarling traffic at the Port of Vancouver — Canada’s busiest port — as well as roughly 30 marine gateways across B.C. More than 7,000 B.C. cargo loaders are pushing for higher wages and job security in negotiations with their employers.

The seamless loading and unloading of cargo ships in B.C. is critical to the smooth functioning of Canada’s economy, and an extended disruption is certain to impact consumers, according to experts who spoke to Global News.

B.C. ports handle an estimated 25 per cent of all imports and exports in Canada worth an estimated $350 billion last year alone, said Fraser Johnson, professor of operations management at the Ivey School of Business in London, Ont.

Johnson said that the Port of Vancouver is Canada’s “gateway to the east,” handling the bulk of trade from China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea as well as some trade with the United States.

He said that consumer electronics, clothing, appliances and cars are among those goods that typically flow through B.C. ports — and are now sitting unloaded in cargo containers off Canada’s west coast.

Johnson said that many retailers are currently stocking up for their fall inventories, and a protracted strike could see delays in when those products hit the shelves.

Other shipments that have yet to arrive could be diverted to other ports in the U.S. or the Port of Montreal or Halifax, he said as an example.