As we alluded to in an earlier post, this could be one of the worst holiday seasons in recent memory. While much of the United States appears to be recovering from the pandemic, other parts of the world aren’t faring as well, which will have a dire impact on the upcoming holiday season. We’ve already discussed the current port congestion all along the western United States, which has delayed the receipt of countless goods bound for US distributors. It has also had a dramatic effect on the cost of shipping, oftentimes tripling in price as compared with shipping fees in 2020.

Now comes word that Bangladesh is extending their lockdown to more regions within the country in an effort to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This is an important development because over the last several years, more and more manufacturers have been moving their manufacturing resources out of China and into several southern Asian countries, most notably Banglasdesh, largely in response to rising labor costs in the PRC. Unfortunately, this strategy seems to have backfired at least in the short term as much of southern Asia is beset by the virus with no clear avenue towards recovery in site.

Diecast manufacturers such as Hobby Master, Solido, Panzerkampf and others are affected by this expanding lockdown, which is playing havoc with their production schedules. As a result, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to predict when product will come to market and equally vexing to determine when new product will be announced. Please bear this in mind when you contemplate placing new orders with us.