Washington: US President Joe Biden cited India and Brazil to explain how the complex global supply chain has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in higher prices and long delays in shipment of products, ahead of Christmas.
In Baltimore on Wednesday, Biden vowed to modernise America’s ports, airports and freight rail to make it easier for the US companies to get their goods to market and end supply chain woes.
Vows to modernise US ports, airports
The pandemic has stretched global supply chains like never before. I vow to modernise US ports, airports and freight rail to make it easier for firms to get their goods to market and end supply chain woes. —Joe Biden, US president
Biden said as long as goods and materials are reaching where they need to reach in time, there’s usually no need to worry about the supply chains.
The pandemic has stretched global supply chains like never before, he said, adding that “suddenly, when you go to order a pair of sneakers or Christmas presents for family, you’re met with higher prices and long delays”. “In simple terms, the supply chain is just the journey a product takes to get to your doorstep,” he said.
He said, “These supply chains are complex, even products as simple as a pencil. Going to have to use wood from Brazil, graphite from India before it comes together at a factory in the US to get a pencil. Sounds silly, but that’s literally how it (is). So, all of a sudden you got the Covid crisis in Brazil. You can’t get the product made because the plant shuts down. That’s what’s happening.”