The world may be staring down the barrel of a toilet paper shortage due to a lack of both shipping containers and ships able to transport them, Suzano SA – the biggest producer of wood pulp used in the production of toilet paper – told Bloomberg.
Walter Schalka, chief executive officer of Brazil-based Suzano SA, said in an interview that the shortage of vessels is threatening to delay the company’s shipments.
The CEO added that he's been concerned for a while that Suzano would export less than expected in March and would have to push back shipments to April.
The situation with cargo ships is at risk of getting worse following the blockage in the Suez Canal, caused by a 400m-long container that ran aground, disrupting international trade.
The stranded vessel has caused a maritime traffic jam of over 200 ships as rescue teams work desperately to set it free.
It would not the first time the world has experienced a toilet paper shortage – at the start of the pandemic people scrambled to stock up on supplies, with loo paper proving particularly popular.
