one thing people don't realize is how the drive for the "lowest possible price" for consumer goods led to a supply chain that was finely tuned to drive out costs by having smallest possible inventory, lowest labor costs (overseas for us), etc, etc, but it assumed that nothing significant would change in the future.. When we had a huge disruption like covid, it was a huge problem...people had died, people had retired, we had no inventory to cover the disruption, production was months away by cargo ship, china had a zero tolerance policy in place, etc, etc.
here's a good quote: "
It’s been said many times but bears repeating: The past few years exposed all of the vulnerabilities in the supply chain. Factory shutdowns and pandemic lockdowns combined with trade wars, tariffs and invasions in Europe have created a "storm" so brutal that many were wondering if the supply chain industry would ever be the same again. Supply-side fluctuations created chaos, with logistical issues—including shipping delays and port congestion—causing further mayhem."
and: "Supply chain disruptions were a main contributor to domestic inflationary pressures when they reached unprecedented peaks during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Container Freight Index spiked from roughly $1,500 in early 2020 to approximately $11,000 in the fall of 2021."
so although a lot of the issues have been resolved, "Nevertheless, some supply chain disruptions caused by crop issues, Russian sanctions, or impacts from the war in Ukraine will likely continue."
so things are much better than in 2021/2022, but not normal yet.
www.westernjournal.com