Evidence of the supply chain crisis we are facing is hard to miss. Right now, off the coast of Los Angeles, over 80 large container ships are sitting idle waiting to dock and offload their cargo. The ramifications of this and other bottlenecks in our global supply chain system have caused a backlog of nearly $3 billion in goods that have been ordered but not yet shipped, according to U.S. Census data. What caused this to happen, what happens next, and when will it be over? This report will answer these questions and explain the causes behind our current predicament.

 

WHAT CAUSED THE CURRENT SUPPLY CHAIN BACKLOG?

The crisis began when the pandemic led to temporary plant closures to contain the outbreak, workers calling out sick,  and international borders being closed. Many companies assumed consumers wouldn’t want to spend money during  a crisis, so they scaled down production and furloughed and laid-off employees. They were wrong. Flush with stimulus  checks and all the money they saved from not going out or on vacations, Americans stuck at home decided to commence  home improvement projects. They purchased new appliances, embarked on remodeling projects, and purchased 60- inch televisions they’d always wanted. Instead of falling, demand soared. Read More...