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Last modified on Sat 15 May 2021 14.03 EDT
By tradition, the wits of every construction apprentice are tested with two errands early on in their career: to ask the foreman first for some tartan paint and then a long weight.
The joke is ringing even more hollow than usual on building sites across the UK, where firms needing essential building supplies are facing some very, very long waits. The British building industry is in the midst of a supply crisis. From roof tiles to steel, timber to insulation, paint to kitchen sinks, products are scarce – and when they can be found, they’re expensive.
50 days after the Ever Given blocked the Suez canal, supply chains still have not recovered
Alex Hersham is the CEO and co-founder of Zencargo
SUEZ, EGYPT - MARCH 29: The container ship Ever Given is refloated, unblocking the Suez Canal on March 29, 2021 in Suez, Egypt. (Photo by Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
On the 29th of March, tug boats and dredgers freed the Ever Given from the banks of the Suez Canal. In just six days the blockage obstructed over $60 billion of global trade, sending disruptive ripples to every corner of the world.
The beached container ship, weighing in at 220,000 tonnes and longer than the Empire State Building is tall, became an instant focus for the international media. Wedged across the canal, surrounded by comparatively tiny diggers attempting to dislodge it, the ship became a social media phenomenon. By blocking one of the world’s most important trade arteries, the Ever Given placed the global supply chain, so often overlooked, int
Home / Shipping News / Port News / The Suez Canal And Our Fragile Global Supply Chain: How Redundancy In Industrial Development Can Ease The Strain
The Suez Canal And Our Fragile Global Supply Chain: How Redundancy In Industrial Development Can Ease The Strain
One boat, one canal and one fragile global supply chain commanded the news cycle in late March as the Suez Canal blockage by the container ship the Ever Given laid bare an inefficient international logistics network that relied too heavily on optimal conditions. Due to the 220,000-ton stuck ship, vessels carrying thousands of shipping containers filled with important goods faced substantial delays in reaching their destinations in Europe, Africa and elsewhere. Although the Ever Given was finally dislodged after a six-day ordeal, questions remain about the long-term impact the blockage may inflict on the supply chain at large.