U.S. exporters are struggling to export food as the global shipping system strains under unprecedented pandemic demand.
There is a confluence of disruptions in the international supply chain.
This situation affects many agricultural sectors, amounting to what the industry is calling an “export crisis”. “What’s at stake now is our exporters are unable to be dependable suppliers to the global marketplace,” said the executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, a lobbying group for shippers.
Supply chain experts say that shipping ports are incredibly congested right now. Americans are buying a lot more imports, with demand for everything from personal protective equipment to household items at a record high. There are also ongoing labour shortages due to the pandemic, which means that it’s taking a lot longer to unload and load cargo.