H-E-B assures customers of supply chain strength amid dockworkers strike

Catch up quick: About 45,000 longshoremen, including those employed at the Port of Houston, went on strike after the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) failed to reach a new labor contract agreement with the union.

• Workers at more than a dozen ports walked off work early Tuesday after their six-year contract expired, with no indication of how long the halt will last.

State of play: Major importers have been preparing for a strike for months, so there won't be an immediate shortage or price hike.

• But University of Houston supply chain and logistics technology program director Margaret Kidd told KHOU that if there's an extended strike, it could impact what we pay at the grocery store because a lot of our perishables come by ship from South and Central America.

What they're saying: H-E-B said the team regularly prepares for disruptions in supply chains.

• "Our team has been working with suppliers for weeks to serve Texans. Most products are not impacted by this strike. Our stores are receiving shipments and are in a strong position that allows our Partners to continue to restock shelves throughout the day," a statement Tuesday from H-E-B said.