At the beginning of the year the company World Brands, which makes robots and helicopters for children, saw that there was a shortage of the microchips used to manufacture their toys and, in anticipation, made a collection for a year and a half.
The lack of raw materials to manufacture almost everything, from plastic toys to maritime containers or cars, also affects the topped sector, which is suffering an increase in costs between 20% and 40%.
This Christmas will be toys, yes, but somewhat more expensive, as explained to the world the spokesman for the Association of Toy Manufacturers, Oliver Giner.
With the raw materials, this 2021 is happening something similar to what happened in the supermarkets in March 2020 with some products, which were exhausted because it became excessive collection at the fear of being completed.
“This crisis in part we have aggravated us, although it has to do with many things, during the pandemic, many companies of raw materials closed, we have encountered an overdemand and after year and a half of parons, re-grease all the machinery
It is being difficult, “he says.
As explained, there is a shortage of the iron wires that go inside the dock that is used to manufacture the toy pistols.
Also of the polymers that are used in plastic cars or on the beach cubes, and the PVC that make up part of the wrists.
The prices of these materials have been shot 100% and 40%, respectively.
The iron tubes for the structures of cars and slides have also been upset by 30%, according to this association.
In the case of microchips, although those who use toys “are simpler, much less technological than those of the automotive”, there is also overdevelopment, then “what is scarce are the semiconductors of those who are made.”
“The increases depend on the company and the materials, and if they were supplied on time. But some will have to have an impact on the cost,” explains Giner, who does not believe that there is going to be a problem of shortage, then “Star products that
They run out, they will do it as every year, and those who do not arrive will not enter the catalog or will be in stores, so they will not miss it, “he says.
To this shortage of raw materials and the spectacular increase in demand must be added the transport crisis in the world.
The price of boat transport from Asia has multiplied by 10 by the scarce offer of ships and containers and a triggered claim.
China is the factory in the world, where almost everything we consume comes from.
90% of the merchandise comes by boat, which is the cheapest means of transport, 15 times more than the plane.
But there are no containers because there is no steel, there are no pallets because many logging companies closed in pandemic, and shipping companies can not manufacture boats overnight either.
In the collapse, it contributes, as Giner explained, the fact that the supply has advanced and intensified.
“The collapse we suffered because of the pandemic was serious. At the beginning of year the companies already detected the problem and this caused them to gather the raw materials, so that we wander the problem even more,” he says.
