For supply chain professionals, 2021 has been a whirlwind year. The supply chain received a lot of media attention for a variety of reasons, including a ship blocking the Suez Canal and a chip shortage for automakers. People around the world who had no idea what a supply chain was at the start of the year now have a lot better knowledge of how the things they buy are transported from one location to another. The reality is that many of the transportation difficulties manufacturers will face in 2021 will not disappear. In 2022, expect a lot of supply chain news, including these key trends.
1. Supply shortages will continue to keep ocean container rates high
As long as multiple global economies remain prosperous, demand for products and services will keep transportation rates, particularly by sea, at record highs. With inflation on the rise in several regions of the world, rising product costs may cause a consumer slowdown, giving manufacturers and suppliers some breathing room to resupply their inventory. However, until bottlenecks are removed, the backlog of existing demand will keep ocean transit rates higher. Transportation rates should begin to fall in 2023 as supply and demand begin to level out in the second half of 2022.