THE CURRENT STATE OF IMPORT LOGISTICS AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN
COVID-19 HAS HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED EFFECT ON LOGISTICS AND THE OVERALL SUPPLY CHAIN. At first, the coronavirus’s effects on shipping seemed manageable, COVID-19 was still a local issue limited mainly to China, and there were not yet global concerns about the virus. At the time, the expectation was that once China returned to work and the virus subsided, an overall improvement on logistics and the supply chain would follow. TODAY, THE REALITY IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. There is not a major import country that the virus has not affected. U.S. purchase orders are slowing down as COVID-19 now affects almost all countries in Asia, from India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to the Philippines and others. In China, the second wave of infections has started, causing more concerns. There are major lockdowns and closures worldwide, causing tremendous challenges for logistics, marine suppliers and the overall supply chain. At the beginning of March, the overall picture and outlook for