CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Last year we saw a lot of shortages. Toilet paper, sanitizing wipes, even some types of food.
And now because of the pandemic, you could be paying more for your daily cup of joe.
The pandemic is driving up the cost of coffee. Let's connect the dots.
Coffee roasters in the US are reporting major cost increases in their operations. It's mostly related to shipping.
That's because the global food trade is experiencing a container crisis.
According to the Wall Street Journal, shipping backlogs pushed coffee prices to their highest in more than a year.
And that cost may get passed along to the rest of us.
But even if companies are willing to pay more to get shipping containers, there may not be any containers available.
So what's behind the container shortage?
People aren't spending as much money on vacations and going out to eat, so they're turning to online shopping.
There's also been a huge increase in personal protective and medical equipment being shipped. So there are just not enough shipping containers to go around.
Experts say this shortage could last through the end of the year.