Furniture Importers Experience Shipping Difficulties

Furniture importers have had a hard time getting their products from their Asian factories to the U.S. before the start of the Chinese New Year. This is because it has been harder to find space on cargo ships bound for the U.S. Some carriers have reduced the number of their active ships, so there’s less shipping space available. For importers who were able to secure shipping space, they pay double than what they used to pay just to get their goods to their U.S. warehouses.

The weeks before Chinese New Year are critical for furniture importers as they rush to get their products to the U.S. before the start of the two-week holiday. The shipping dilemma may start to ease by the end of March, but some importers aren’t so hopeful. Other companies ordered and shipped more of their products two months before the Chinese New Year in anticipation of the shipping problems brought about by the holiday rush.

What does this dilemma mean to customers? If furniture importers run out of stock, the customers will have to wait for a longer period of time before they receive their new furniture. The increased shipping cost may result in a higher product price.