By Rocky Swift
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese beverage group Suntory Holdings has said it will halt some wine sales this month due to production and shipping delays in Australia related to COVID-19.
Loading space on ships departing Australia have fallen by as much as half from normal levels, a Suntory spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Suntory said in a statement on Tuesday it would halt sales of some Carlo Rossi brand wines around the end of January and was aiming to resume them in April.
The announcement comes as global supply chains have been snarled by pandemic-related shutdowns, extreme weather and a sudden rebound in consumer demand.
McDonald’s Holdings Company Japan said last week it would suspend larger servings of fries for about a month after flooding at the port of Vancouver interrupted imports of potatoes. Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing Co in September delayed some clothing releases after factory lockdowns in Vietnam.
Suntory competitor Kirin Holdings Co suspended some Franzia wine sales in Japan in September, citing transportation woes in North America. Those sales are due to resume next month.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
