Back to Basics: Supply Chain Logistics and the Modern Tea Merchant

Information provided by World Tea News, article by David Duckler

While Supply Chain issues are no stranger to the US Tea Market, there's no doubt that the complications of COVID-19 added... well... complications!

"In the early days of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, shipping came to a full halt for many importers. Couriers in China were affected by lockdowns and ships were turned away at the docks. Slowly but surely, volume came back, and today docks are working harder than ever before.

Then what’s all this we hear about supply chain breakdowns, shortages etc.? Iconic pictures of dozens of cargo ships waiting to unload in Los Angeles fill our news feeds. Despite appearances, the truth is, port velocity is up. It’s never been higher. Imports are being processed faster than ever before and at higher volume than ever before. You can’t blame the shippers here." states David in his article on worldteanews.com (full article here: https://www.worldteanews.com/issues-trends/back-basics-supply-chain-logistics-and-modern-tea-merchant)

So what else is up? Purchasing! Demand for imports are up more than 14% compared to 2020. Not something most retailers were anticipating, say bye-bye to inventory control. On top of that, many of our carriers like USPS, FedEx, and UPS just can't hire fast enough to fulfill this increase in demand. All of this leads to increased shipping costs both internationally and domestically. Twice the price, for twice the wait time.

While there are many other factors that also contribute to supply chain issues, rest assured that we are always working to do our very best to maintain stock and expedited shipping. We appreciate your business and will do everything we can to make it right.