Jen Psaki says too much online shopping is partly to blame for the supply chain crisis

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has blamed Americans’ online shopping habits for the country’s supply chain crisis.

Psaki said consumers who are increasing their online purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic were part of the “root cause” of the supply shortage when asked to do a press conference at the White House on Wednesday. She said the issue was “a top priority” for President Joe Biden.

“So many people across the country are buying more goods online,” said Psaki. “Maybe some of this is due to habits that developed during the pandemic when people didn’t leave their homes. Some of this is because we’ve seen an economic recovery in the past nine months … that’s leading to a massive increase in volume. That happens in the ports. “

“We address and address supply chain problems – even with the increased volume that is the main culprit here – on every front,” she added. “I think people should know that this is their top priority. We have already seen progress. And we will continue to do so.”

Psaki said the Biden government has been focused on speeding up the flow of goods by working with ports and railways to ensure they are fully operational as well as “ensuring people overseas get COVID vaccines” and “Working with truckers and unions to create a We sure have more people driving trucks.”

Staff shortages in key industries could also have a negative impact on the supply chain. Additionally, consumers could be affected by a recent policy change that intentionally slows down some U.S. Postal Service deliveries.

The supply chain crisis was accompanied by concerns about rising inflation rates and the impact on consumers. Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell attributed the country’s increased inflation rate to supply chain problems, predicting it would “likely last well into next year.”

The recent supply chain difficulties have not been confined to the United States, as a similar situation is occurring simultaneously in many parts of the world. Some economists have joined Psaki on the cause, arguing that the problem was fueled by a surge in demand after the global economy quickly recovered from a low at the start of the pandemic.

“I think the real problem here is demand, and demand drives that perception of bottleneck, although I don’t realize that supply is below 2019 levels except for things like cars,” Robert Koopman, World Trade The organization’s chief economist, said Reuters. “It’s part of the cost of the speedy recovery.”