Although this is from an American perspective it still sheds light on what is happening across the globe at the moment.
Supply Chain delays for Plastic Models (more shortages coming) - YouTube
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The supply chain problem in the US concerning anything is the fact the current administration has shut down the oil pipelines turning this country from a petroleum selling nation to an import dependent one. This has driven the cost of fuel (AND inflation overall) to the point the truckers canāt afford to run their vehicles to deliver the goods. Thatās why all the cargo ships are sitting off our ports.
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Thatās a big part of it!
Companies are paying their employees to stay home (quarantine) for 2 weeks if they feel sick or have reason to suspect theyāve become infectedā¦ no positive test required. This policy is being abused.
This happens often enough to create a critical manpower shortage (are we allowed to say manpower?).
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Not so sure itās just a country issue. Itās more a world wide issue.
Thereās a huge shortage of shipping containers. Why? No idea.
Here in Australia there are multiple issues. One is transport drivers going on strike. But add to that a huge shortage of long haul drivers. Shortage of wood pallets. Recent heavy rain has cut many of our major highways. Someone in the middle east is playing funny buggers with oil supply. Oh and itās Christmas.
And dare I say a big dose of politics.
Our net import difference is 2.9 million barrels, much improved from where it was years and decades ago. Refining Canadian tarsands thru keystone pipeline wouldnāt have impacted fuel prices. You might be better off asking OPEC why their daily production is a million plus barrels per day off, thatās impacting fuel prices globally. If you watched what did oil companies did when the strategic reserved was tapped adding 50 million barrels in circulation, they raised prices. Of course we as Americans are resistant to hybrids and electric vehicles so our consumption and shortsightedness is to blame. Iām not above that. I drive a conventional gas truck and make my living selling truck accessories. Curious, did you point a finger at Texas refineries that arenāt weather hardened and shut down earlier this year which spiked prices, which strangely didnāt fall after the flow was restored? Same refineries BTW are still vulnerable to a repeat weather event. But I get itās popular among the right to pretend that Canadian tar sands, destined for export by pre-existing contracts, a crude form that is never refined to gas is somehow the driver for pump prices.
Btw lower quality crude that was used for seat foams and a wide range of petroleum based products etc was impacted w the Suez blockage earlier this year. Certain foam products and rubber products using the low grade crudes have seen price increases of 150% and stock is scarce. Try to find a rubber truck bed mat, non existent except for current on hand stock. It took 4 plus months to feel the impact of that shipping slow down.
Itās human nature to over simplify issues, blame truck drivers for trucking issues, dock workers for not taking hard enough to unload ships without looking at our own consumption patterns, panic buying previously etc. Frankly itās shared blame all around but more so on a mentality that took root several decades of ājust in time stockā models that left little room for supply chain disruptions. We learned this year that our store front and supply chains for auto parts could only weather at best a 6 month interruption they way they were designed. What will be curious to watch is how the supply chain will adjust itās model to ride out global disruptions. We had never seen it before. Now we have, so will immediate profits outweigh proper planning that might require the sacrifice of immediate returns to stock deeper meaning more capital is tied up and not available for quarterly payouts? Only time will tell but my bet is no, weāre in a brave new world, buy when you can at inflated prices and not learn a lesson. Seems to be our capitalistic mentality.
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Thank you for this.
Itās convenient to point fingers when you have an agenda! 
We have the same high gasoline prices, and supply difficulties in Canada. Blaming the PM for this would just be a foolish extreme right/conservative anti-government re-action! 
The reason OPEC has slowed its production is obvious. They know they can get away with it now. No coincidence. Previously they had to worry about us not even wanting their oil. Now they will return to manipulating our foreign policy.
If capitalism is so evilā¦ why are so many heads of state in communist countries obscenely wealthyā¦ just like labor union leaders?
The only reason conservatives seem so extreme is the very observable shift to the left and socialism/communism we are experiencing in the democrats. Today JFK would be considered a conservative extremist.
Letās Go Brandon!
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I watched Andyās video when it came out.
Not much has changed. My order of Christmas gift models to myself from my dogs was already delivered more than a week ago. (Thank you Andy)
1/16 Stug I ordered back in August is still on that freighter, I have not received any update and Andy is really good about communication.
Often those who would call explanations āoversimplificationā either donāt understand the situationā¦ or donāt want you to understand it.
None of this was an issue until the present administration. Not a coincidence.
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I got this from a friendā¦ just added my own two bitsā¦ 
There is literally a fleet sitting off of LA/Long Beach waiting to unload their cargo. The reasons why are multiple, but the end results are the mess that we now have.
Merry Christmasā¦.
Hoā¦ Hoā¦ Hoh!
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Economic āexpertsā havenāt the answer so what change a group of modelers?
Itās too easy to generalise. Itās too easy to see the world from a biased perspective. Itās too easy to blame the big target, or the small one.
The world is currently taking a political left turn. I suggest all those with their hands on the wheel have a very close look at history and those who have taken the left turn in the past. How did it work out?
Hummā¦ I canāt see where 9 or 10 months of an administration focused on vaccinations has caused a world supply problem. There are multiple causes for the issue we are in. I work in education currently and there is a shortage of bus drivers and substitute teachers. Must be they are making so much on unemployment and federal money. It couldnāt be that after 16 months of no work they changed jobs or the older ones retired. We require substitute teachers to have a degree. It couldnāt be that it is hard to find someone with a degree that only wants to work part time without benefitsā¦If you can drive a school bus, you have a CDL and can also drive a semitruck for more money. So drivers willing to make less money to drive school buses are hard to find.
My daughter worked for Microsoft until her section was replaced by contract labor. She went to work for a company as a project manager in their engineering section. After a few months her entire department was let go. She has been hired by Facebook but they keep pushing back the start date. People want to work.
Not to mention vaccine mandates for companies employing more than X amount of people. Truckers do tend to be an independent lot. There is a shortage of truckers to begin with, throw in increasing fuel costs, and other contributing factors and the situation snowballs.
Oh and to the guy saying that there is a shipping container shortage in their areaā¦ there is an excess of empty containers in the LA harbor corridor. Part of the trade imbalance between the US and China. We are not sending enough goods west across the pacific to keep pace, and recycling them is not cost efficient. When I left the area less than two years ago, there were large lots stacked with them, 40-50 feet high on acres and acres.
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How long did it take after the lockdown announcement for toilet paper and Lysol to disappear from the store shelves?
About 20 minutes as I recallā¦
The same thing happens when you say Hurricane.
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Milk and eggs!!!