It's increasingly likely that thousands of dockworkers at major ports along the East and Gulf coasts will strike on Oct. 1, those close to the parties tell Axios. Why it matters: Americans would feel this one.

Businesses are preparing for a strike by dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts, which could begin Oct. 1 if negotiations don’t yield a new contract.

U.S. companies that rely on East and Gulf Coast seaports have been importing early, shifting goods to the West Coast, and even putting cargo on pricey flights to hedge against a threatened Oct. 1 strike that could jam supply chains and reignite inflation ahead of the U.