Japanese Earthquake Affects Global Supply Chain
The earthquake in Japan has had tragic human and financial consequences that are beginning to ripple around the world to be felt in other ways. Some of the components manufactured in the affected region are said to be creating supply chain shortages for such disparate products as automobiles, semiconductors, iPads and solar panels.
In our industry, HP has placed many of its toner and ink cartridges on national allocation due to the earthquake, and Canon has announced shortages on some of its toner cartridge products. Already price increases have been announced by at least one major distributor. We have all been moved by the scenes we have witnessed of the earthquake and tsunami, as well as the bravery and perseverence of the Japanese people. This tragedy has truly had an impact on our global economy. |