Paper Excellence warned on November 22 that its customers may see pulp and paper delivery delays due to ongoing supply chain disruption in North America and particularly British Columbia.
Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat (pronounced Tees-kwat), which is owned by Paper Excellence, is currently in temporary curtailment until at least the new year due to severe challenges with local and global supply chain congestion, exacerbated by BC’s recent rain event.
According to a media release from Paper Excellence, over the past three months, global supply chains, ports and carriers have been impacted by disruptions related to the pandemic, such as labour availability, lack of shipping containers, delayed carriers and significant port congestion. These backlogs have impacted the company’s ability to get finished products shipped in a timely manner, the release stated.
The atmospheric river weather system that hit British Columbia on November 14 was a significant event that caused widespread damage, the release stated. Although none of Paper Excellence’s facilities were directly impacted, there has been material damage to British Columbia’s infrastructure, particularly its roadways and railways. Closure of the Trans Canada Highway, Highway 3 and Highway 5, in addition to the closure of the CP and CN rail lines, has further impacted outbound product shipments as the company relies on both truck and rail transportation to move goods, according to the release.
The company also anticipates potential production interruptions over the next four weeks related to forest fibre and other goods shortages received at its British Columbian mills. The situation will be monitored closely in the company’s decision to restart its Crofton facility from its current two-week production curtailment.
The release stated that Paper Excellence remains committed to getting as much product as quickly as possible to its customers and asks for understanding at this time as British Columbia works to rebuild its transportation infrastructure and continues to navigate the impacts of the pandemic.
