November 3, 2021 – To shed light into the current supply chain issues the global economy is facing, CBS News tracked the journey of consumer goods (a pair of speakers) from Guangzhou, China, to the U.S.
Several challenges were evident:
- Electricity issues, which come as China tries to cut carbon emissions — but cuts in coal production have led to record prices. Random power outages can create significant disruptions into production.
- Lack of manpower. Dock workers spend three weeks in quarantine for every two weeks on the job, according to CBS News.
- Logjam at the ports. After a two-week journey across the Pacific, most container ships end up anchored off the coast of Southern California, where they sit for even longer. When the ships finally unload, the containers are stacked as far as the eye can see, waiting several days for trucks and trains to carry them across the U.S.
Months have passed by the time the speakers arrive at Alto Music in Middletown, New York. The music store’s owner, Jon Haber, says he’s paying almost five times as much for shipping.
Read the full report here.