WILLEMSTAD - In order to allow consumers to make more conscious choices, the Association of Curaçao Agents (BVCA) wants to inform them about the availability and prices of products on the island through the media.
Until mid-2022, importers and supermarkets will have to deal with high transport costs and long delivery times. Jair Pietersz, BVCA board member, says that an information campaign is necessary for this very reason. According to Pieterz, the problem already starts with the suppliers, who suffer from a shortage of personnel and raw materials. In addition, there is a logistical problem. Transport costs have increased and less can be transported. Demand for products has also skyrocketed after a period of complete shutdown.
The consequences for the importers and distributors in Curaçao are major. It is never the case that a product is no longer available at all, but it is the case that, for example, a certain brand has run out. Then the consumer has to choose the alternative brand. Consumers should pay close attention to prices and compare them. BVCA therefore wants to organize an information campaign through the media.
Robbin Martine, BVCA chairman, also indicated that there was an increase of 20 to 25 percent in transport costs.
Importers try to stock larger stocks to prevent that a product is no longer for sale. This is not always possible, because there are transport and delivery problems worldwide. Curaçao Beverage Bottling Company (CBBC) has managed to double the stocks. They do not yet include the extra costs in the price. CBBC expects the situation to last at least another year.
The core of all problems is the corona pandemic. Several countries went into lockdown and containers were placed in places where they should not be. Ship traffic also came to a standstill after the container ship Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal at the end of March and blocked the canal. As a result, a large part of world trade was shut down. C.H. Robinson doesn't expect pressure on global admissions chains to ease any time soon. The biggest obstacle at the moment is a terminal in China, at the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan. It closed on 11 August because a port employee had tested positive for corona. The closure of one of the busiest container ports in the world is disrupting other ports in China. This causes the supply to be delayed even more.