More supply chain issues?
- Reuters News Service reported that new outbreaks of COVID-19 in Shenzhen, China, may negatively impact the worldwide supply chain slowdown
- queues of container ships outside major Chinese ports are lengthening by the day
- Chinese government’s “Zero COVID-19” policies keep some port, factory, truck workers home
- City of Shenzhen, with 17 million citizens, is a critical manufacturing and logistical hub with important ports
- Hackett Associates is reporting that US port congestion remains an issue on both coasts
- Import containers are not getting inland quick enough, which is eating up space for export containers
- If labor negotiations break down, the West Coast International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association employees could start a slowdown or worse a strike
- Existing contract expires 6/30/2022
- Reuters News Service is reporting that Russian attacks on country of Ukraine will disrupt the world’s supply of neon
- Apparently the world’s two leading suppliers of neon are located in Ukraine, and that neon is used to manufacture many types of computer chips, which are already in short supply