- Supply chain problems that have been tormenting retailers for months are showing up in America’s stores
- Around the country, there are shortages of goods on shelves in Target, Costco, Home Depot and Sears
- The issues aren’t specific to any one type of good and are down to problems with shipping and distribution
- Cargo ships off can’t get into overworked ports to drop off goods and are hovering off the coast
- There is a global shortage in truck drivers which is stalling distribution of goods and railroads are also jammed
- The cost of shipping a single container from China to LA reached $20,000 last month – four times what it cost last October
- Some retailers are telling people to buy Christmas gifts now to ensure they arrive on time
- There is no immediate end in sight: Biden has launched a White House supply chain task force but businesses fear the problems will stretch on for months yet
A series of supply chain bottlenecks has created a monumental shortage of goods across America, with shelves in pharmacies, department stores, grocery stores and more sitting empty while cargo ships, freight trains and trucks struggle to distribute goods quickly enough to keep up with demand.
Dozens of cargo ships are waiting to dock in California and further up the West Coast, but they face month-long waits once they arrive. Millions of dollars of American goods are sitting in warehouses in China and Asia, awaiting shipment.
Even once the goods reach American shores, mostly from China, the process is stunted by a lack of on-the-ground staff who can distribute them.
