Category: broken supply chains

Ukraine War, China Lockdowns Expected to Worsen Supply Chain Problems

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) published a report on Monday that claims global supply chain issues are likely to worsen in upcoming months, as complications from China and Eastern Europe result in massive port congestion in key areas. The report found that a fifth of the global container ship fleet had been stuck in…


UBS Chairman Warns of Persistent High Inflation

UBS Chairman Axel Weber talked about the high rates of inflation plaguing major world economies during a Monday conference on monetary policy, claiming that the recent uptick of commodity prices is a sign that inflation could get even higher in the coming days. During the 22nd edition of UBS’s flagship Greater China Conference (GCC), Weber…


747 Flights With Potatoes En Route to McDonald’s Japan to Ease Fry Shortages

Planes are being loaded with potatoes for Japan, according to a recent tweet by a U.S. freight forwarder, as the country faces potato shortages leading McDonald’s Japan to ration fries and sell them in smaller portions. “Flexport just contracted to fly three 747 loads of potatoes to Japan to help with the French fry shortage,”…


Small Businesses Faced With Skyrocketing Shipping Costs—If They Can Even Buy What They Need

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—Christmas means more than gifts, but some of the gifts that celebrate the season will be sadly lacking this year. According to businesses across the country, supply chain issues and government regulations have made it difficult to get goods for Christmas. The worst problem for businesses is shipping cost, several local business owners said….


Farmers Weathering Triple Storm of Rising Costs for Fertilizer, Pesticide, and Machinery

Farmers have a long history of surviving painful economic situations, but the current simultaneous shortages of crucial supplies are straining their resilience. They need fertilizer, pesticides, and machinery, but, in 2021, all these things rose drastically in cost. For some families, 2022 might bring an end to generations in the farming business. One of the…


New Rail Terminal Makes Savannah’s Port 3rd Largest in Country

North America’s largest railport terminal has risen from out of a swamp in Savannah, Georgia. The Mason Mega Rail Terminal makes Savannah the third-largest port in the United States, according to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 12, Kemp announced that the new terminal would raise the port’s rail capacity by…


Food-Bank-Dependent Families Suffer from Supply Chain Disruptions

Inflation, shipping delays, supply-chain issues, pandemic lockdowns, and labor shortages have contributed to price increases and scarcities that have now started affecting food banks across the country, on which the most vulnerable population depends during difficult circumstances. “The recovery is going to be very, very long and steep for families who are typically reliant on…


Biden Plays Chicken With Semitruck Drivers

American truckers don’t like taking orders. But the Biden administration has increased pressure on them to take the vaccine—willing or unwilling. All through the pandemic, truckers endured hardships to keep America’s infrastructure running. They waited in line for hours in sight of bathrooms they weren’t allowed to use. On the road, some died alone of…


Vaccine Mandate Threatens Major Trucking Disruption, Industry Insiders Say

American truckers don’t like taking orders. But the Biden administration has increased pressure on them to take the vaccine—willing or unwilling. All through the pandemic, truckers endured hardships to keep America’s infrastructure running. They waited in line for hours in sight of bathrooms they weren’t allowed to use. On the road, some died alone of…


China’s Belt and Road Faces Pandemic Economy

Analysis China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is at the center of Xi Jinping’s foreign and economic policy, and a significant component of Beijing’s push for global expansion. So far, 139 countries have joined the various components, including the Digital Silk Road, Health Silk Road, and Maritime Silk Road. The BRI (also known as “One Belt,…