With U.S. retailers willing to pay almost any price to get their goods to American shores in time for the holidays, ocean carriers have redeployed container ships from the developing world to the more lucrative Asia-to-United States trade lanes, where rates for some shipments this fall were 15 times pre-pandemic levels, according to the Freightos index.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s helped fill American store shelves \u2014 and carriers\u2019 coffers \u2014 but it has battered many African shippers, according to interviews with more than 30 maritime analysts, shippers, freight forwarders and cargo carriers in the United States, Africa and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Already lagging in coronavirus vaccinations, Africa risks becoming collateral damage in the supply wars. The International Monetary Fund says the 45 nations of sub-Saharan Africa are mired in the slowest economic recovery of any region, with supply chain disruptions helping fuel inflation at roughly twice its pre-pandemic level.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfrica, sadly, I can\u2019t think of any other continent that is last on the rung. Africa will be the last to come out of this,\u201d [Aditya] Awtani said.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Africa is left with the fallout of the US supply chain crisis<\/p>\n Ships have been diverted to the US\/Europe, leaving many developing nations w\/out basic supplies.<\/p>\n More great supply chain reporting from @davidjlynch<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/flCTdUUODa<\/a><\/p>\n — Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) December 17, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n