In routine activities such as refueling or grocery shopping, the British have recently stretched out with serious obstacles. Many panicked as there was a risk of fuel shortages. In addition, already in the summer they faced the lack of basic food on the shelves and this condition persisted. While it plays a major role in the United Kingdom brexit, the pandemic has complicated supplies around the world, and experts say the situation will not improve easily.

Lack of strength

The situation in the British Isles was also described by the Slovak Dagmar, who has been living there for several years and works in the field of services. She noticed the empty shelves in mid-August. “For example, one of the food chains lacks long-lasting milk and mineral water. It may have taken a week, see where we are in three or four plants, “he describes.

For example, Britain lacks about 100,000 drivers from Eastern Europe who have left the country after leaving the European Union. People from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Latvia were replaced by Albanians, Moldovans and Pakistanis.

Economist Vladimír Baláž also has to lack the power they face there. According to him, the British found that without these people, some activities that the locals no longer want to do are very difficult.

“These are strenuous and low-paid occupations. Especially in agriculture, but also in trade and transport. The shortage in the store is not primarily caused by the fact that the goods are not, but by the fact that there is no one to distribute the products, put them together on the shelves in the stores and sell them. It is one of the consequences of Brexit, which they must be aware of, but the British government did not tell the population about it, “he explains.

The situation is getting worse about two weeks ago. Panic broke out in Britain over fuels. The media reported on a large scale that there was a shortage of tankers and that problems with the supply of service stations were expected.

“Drivers, of course, we want a full tank. And even those who got in the car maybe only twice a week. ‘Pumps’ form long columns and in some smaller shops the roads are even completely clogged. In addition to cars, rescuers, firefighters and buses also stood in the traffic jams for tens of minutes, “Dagmar recalls.

After a while, the panic subsided, and the government called in military forces. The soldiers assisted in the supply of gas stations and thus compensated for the lack of conductors.

It won’t fix quickly

It is unlikely that a similar scenario will take place in Slovakia. But what complicates the situation for us is the interconnected supply network and its outages due to the pandemic. Economist Baláž reminds us that we are in the continent and part of a large market. Much of the consumer goods are in China and shipped to the rest of the world, including our territory.

“Container ships arrive not only in the United States, but also in Europe on their route from Shanghai to Rotterdam, and then the goods are delivered throughout the European Union. There are currently major transport problems, and this supply cycle has been interrupted. It will take a very long time to recover, “describes the expert.

Consumer goods will be delayed. The question that many will face during the crisis is how they will inform Christmas holidays. The increased influx in shops and the search for gifts begins each year a few weeks before Christmas.

Ballad in advance that having to stock up in advance and shopping in any case will not make much of a difference now. “Once supplies are limited and interrupted, the goods will be missing at least. However, this does not mean that there is enough of him now and he will not be later. Some things are already missing, deliveries are just and will be thinner, “he says.

He also cites the operation of our cars, which are the backbone of the Slovak economy, as an example. “Companies have had to suspend production because they do not have the chips. And it’s not about wanting or not wanting to frontload. Chips have simply been missing for half a year, there are big problems with the capacity of their production and supply, and a large company has been facing this for more than a year. It is not a matter of one or two months, “describes the economist.

So it is possible that some popular gifts will be and it is already harder to find. Electronics, toys and sportswear are mainly exported from China to Europe and the USA. “These are mandatory commodities that are bought in increased honey at Christmas. Some items or specific brands are probably not available in full honey, “says Baláž.

Whenever it supplies supplies of honey as it was before the crisis, it is questionable. When these problems began last fall, experts predicted that in the spring of 2021 it would be fine. It is the end of the year and the problems are not improving, quite the opposite. “It’s like riding a column. When one car stops, the whole column stops. When one car moves, it does not mean that the whole thing will start. It goes slowly. It is expected that it will improve sometime in 2022, but no one can guarantee it, “adds the expert.

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