The effects of the Coronavirus have not been fully felt in many industries:
- Global supply chains continue to be affected – disruptions in the flow of raw materials, manufacturing and finished goods.
- The container shipping industry has been severely disrupted – port congestion is causing significant delays.
- Suez canal blockage – the full impact is yet to be fully felt too. This will cause bottleneck problems, resulting in increased delays and longer transit times from China
- Lack of equipment and space – the ocean lines have reduced the number of ships sailing from China. This means there are problems getting containers to ship goods from China and problems getting these containers onto ships.
- Strong consumer demand has put pressure on supply chains, resulting in a 300% – 400% increase in container shipping rates.
- In the next 6 months we’ll continue to see a situation of bottleneck problems, capacity shortages and high pressure on rates.
Christmas is one of our busiest times, and with so much uncertainty and disruption, it is crucial that printed packaging orders are placed before the end of June 2021 to guarantee the best price and delivery before Christmas. While we have an option to purchase products from our European partners after June 2021, the prices will be more expensive.
We understand the difficult and challenging landscape ahead, but we are confident that things will improve and we all will be more resilient after such a challenging year! Rest assured that we are doing our best to help mitigate the impact of this crisis on our operations and our customers.
On behalf of each and every employee at Barry Packaging, we would like to thank you for your continued loyalty and support.