Virginia port strike could spark banana and booze shortage

It's day three of the historic strike by the International Longshoremen's Association, the first East Coast port strike since 1977.

Why it matters: Consumers could soon feel the effects when they shop.

The big picture: Thousands of unionized dockworkers at 14 major East and Gulf Coast ports, including roughly 3,400 Port of Virginia workers, went on strike at 12:01am Tuesday when a new labor contract wasn't solidified.

• Those ports handle more than half of the cargo shipped to the U.S. from around the world.
• At this point , the strike is creating a backlog of containers, which could take weeks to clear, CBSNews reported .
• Consumers likely won't see shortages (and price hikes) unless it stretches into two or three weeks.

Zoom in: Here's what usually goes through the ports on strike — and will likely be affected if the strike goes on —  according to the American Farm Bureau Federation :

• 🍌 75% of the country's banana imports
• 🍒 90% of imported cherries
• 🥫 85% of canned food
• 🌶️ 82% of hot peppers
• 🍫 80% of the nation's imported chocolate
• 🍷 80% of imported beer, wine, whiskey and scotch
• 🍹60% of rum

Plus: Imported seafood, coffee, car parts, tires, clothes, furniture and electronics could also be affected in the coming weeks.

The bottom line: A shutdown that wraps up soon likely won't be felt by most people — but a prolonged stoppage could cause broader economic impacts. So start hoarding.