As we begin to see the widespread impact of geopolitical issues on material and product supplies, these capacity challenges are finding their way into pricing and impacting businesses of all sizes
What is causing this latest crisis? Transit choke points are one area of concern. Tensions around the Suez Canal and Red Sea are causing many container ships to re-route, adding weeks on to shipping times and increasing costs.
November and December saw a drop in volume of 200,000 to 500,000 shipping containers per day passing through the Canal. This is compounded by drought in the Panama canal region which has severely impacted the volume of cargo able to pass through this area.
There are also supply chain issues in China to contend with as it continues to face post- pandemic export and import challenges. This often leads to an imbalance in the movement of containers, delays in transit times and capacity issues. As a result, many countries are now reviewing their reliance on Chinese supply and are considering options in markets closer to home.
Impact on aluminium supply
In 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a global shortage of aluminium. As a result, China stepped up its export of aluminium in an attempt to rebalance this global supply. However, faced with rising shipping costs and logistical capacity challenges, many aluminium importers have since looked towards Europe for their requirements, resulting in capacity shortages within European supply.
Turning crisis into opportunity
A number of key factors are enabling Coppice to support existing customers, welcome new opportunities for growth, and ensure continuity of supply during this challenging time.
‘We view our suppliers as extended members of the Coppice family’
Coppice has honest, trusted, and long-standing relationships with its principal European foil suppliers. Excellent customer service is integral to our core values and this is echoed by our chosen suppliers. We view our suppliers as partners and extended members of the Coppice family. This ensures continuity of supply during even the most challenging times.
In an effort to increase supply chain and limit exposure on regional shortages, we’ve spent years testing and developing additional global suppliers to broaden our reach.
We have partnered with emerging markets and suppliers, taking a collaborative approach in alloy developments. As a result, we are now able to source aluminium from all continents, assured that our quality and specifications are consistent across all suppliers, further reinforcing our strengths during periods of supply shortage.
‘In order to support the demands of new and existing customers we are delighted to have acquired an additional purpose-built warehouse and office facility’
We are also committed to growth. In order to support the demands of new and existing customers we are delighted to have recently acquired an additional purpose-built warehouse and office facility. This additional capacity will be available from as early as Q2 2024.
A positive outlook
Despite the current landscape, our commitment to continuous improvement and investment has positioned Coppice as a market leader in service and quality. Our operational excellence ensures we are innovative and agile in tackling and overcoming all market challenges, positioning the business to service all customer needs through 2024 and beyond.
Boasting the UK’s largest production capacity and product range, combined with our established global supply chain links, we are positioned to be reactive and agile to all our customer needs. As we continue to invest in innovation and operational advancements, we remain the market leader in sustainable packaging solutions as we continue to innovate and set new standards in the industry. The future continues to look very positive for Coppice and its customers.