United Kingdom: WSTA calls on government for help with supply chain chaos

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) sent a letter to the UK’s Transport Secretary, signed by 48 of the UK’s leading distributors and importers, calling upon the UK government to take urgent action regarding heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver shortages and freight disruptions to avoid “supply chain chaos” over the upcoming holidays and beyond. Importing products reportedly takes up to five times longer than it did one year ago, pushing up costs and limiting the range of products available for sale to consumers. The WSTA advocates extending temporary visas for HGV drivers for a minimum of one year and called upon the government to facilitate better routing of freight, working in partnership with industry to achieve this goal.