America warns of potential empty shelves at Christmas

White House officials, struggling to relieve global supply bottlenecks choking US ports, roads and rail, have warned Americans they could face higher prices and some empty shelves this Christmas season.

Supply crunch, due in part to a pandemic COVID-19Not only does it threaten to affect US spending at a critical time, but it also poses a political risk to President Joe Biden.

a White House He tries to deal with supply bottlenecks, from meat to semiconductors, and has formed a task force in June that meets weekly.

White House officials said US consumers, who are not used to emptying shelves, may have to be flexible and patient.

“There will be things that people won’t get,” a senior official told Reuters when asked about holiday shopping.

“At the same time, it should be possible to replace many of these things with others… I don’t think there is any real reason to panic, but we are all frustrated and there is a certain need for patience to help get through a relatively short amount of time.”

Copyright © Thomson Reuters.