July 7, 2020
How Has COVID-19 Affected the Supply Chain?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a certain impact on the supply chain across North America. The following is a timeline of recent updates around changes made to the supply chain that we’ve been keeping track of at Carson International. Many of the current changes implemented have attempted to help maximize safety while ensuring that supply chains continue to function as needed.
April 15 – Temporarily Relaxed CFIA Labeling Requirements in Place for Foodservice Products
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spread in April, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) decided to suspend certain low-risk CFIA activities that had no effect on the production of safe food in Canada. Changes included increased flexibility for labeling requirements in place for foodservice products that don’t affect food safety, including products used for restaurants, hotels, and institutions.
You can read more about this update at the following link: https://www.carson.ca/2020/04/cfia-temporarily-relaxes-labelling-requirements-for-foodservice-products-during-covid-19-pandemic/
April 24 – FEMA Modifies Rule Banning Medical Supply Export Products
FEMA announced plans to provide certain exemptions to a rule that temporarily banned the overseas shipment of certain medical supplies. The rule came shortly after President Trump issued an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act that would halt the export of medical products when in short supply. However, certain types of shipments are exempted from the rule according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
You can read more about this update at the following link: https://www.carson.ca/2020/04/fema-refines-scope-of-medical-supply-export-ban/
April 27 – The Canadian Government Announces $50 Million to Maintain a Safe Food Supply Chain
In late April, the federal government made an announcement that it would provide farmers and other food production and process employees $50 million to go toward implementing a mandatory 14-day isolation period for all newly arrived foreign workers. The move would help maintain a safe food supply chain, a large portion of which relies on contributions from foreign workers. In addition to foreign workers, individuals exempted from the travel ban would include other foreigners with work and student visas as long as they undergo a 14-day isolation period before entering the population and workforce.
You can read more about this update at the following link: https://www.carson.ca/2020/04/canadian-government-announces-50m-to-keep-food-supply-chain-safe/
May 1 – Supply Chain Disruptions Cause Challenges for North America
Resilience360, makers of cloud-based software that many businesses use to track and gain insight into business operations, released reports that identified certain challenges that the U.S. and Canada would face in cross-border operations. Due to the differences at the state and federal levels, the pandemic has disrupted the supply chain in several ways. In addition to challenges in the U.S. and Canada, Mexico has also experienced certain inconveniences since closing its factories in late March.
You can read more about this update at the following link: https://www.carson.ca/2020/05/disrupted-supply-chains-strain-trade-among-u-s-mexico-and-canada/
If you would like to receive more updates about changes to the supply chain in North America, we’ll provide more information as it comes. Simply return to Carson International for future announcements or visit our CUSMA page.