Andrew Opie, Food and Sustainability Director of the British Retailers Association (BRC), stated that they saw temporary disruptions in the supply of black tea and said, “We think the impact on consumers will be limited because retailers do not expect a large-scale challenge.”
Sainsbury’s, one of the country’s largest grocery chains, also warned consumers that tea supplies were disrupted across the country.
Tensions in the region continue to escalate after the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched attacks on commercial vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea.
Following the attacks, most of the shipping companies preferred alternative routes, causing disruptions in delivery times. It is estimated that the ships shifting their routes to the Cape of Good Hope extended their travel times by 10-14 days.
The UK is the world’s fifth largest tea importer, with most of its tea supply coming from Kenya and India. The Red Sea route is used for the supply from these countries, but due to the tensions, this route has been replaced by the Cape of Good Hope, causing temporary disruptions.
