SINGAPORE - Major supermarkets and pharmacies here have run out of Tampax tampons due to a delay in shipment from the United States.
A spokesman for Giant said that its outlets have experienced a shortage of the sanitary product since January, due to a strike by the US West Coast port authority. The product is also not available on Giant's website.
"What we understood from the brand is that this shortage is caused by the strike in US port. That caused disruption in the shipment," she said. She added that stocks are expected back on the shelves and online by the end of April.
Similarly, FairPrice said that there is a delay due to the strike, which ended in February, after nine months of negotiations. The spokesman added that stocks can be expected in the "next few weeks".
The strike has slowed down international trade at the West Coast seaports which handle about US$1 trillion (S$1.4 trillion) worth of cargo annually, and backlog only started to be cleared in February.
Watsons said there is an "island-wide shortage" that has also affected its stores, while Guardian said that it has been in touch with Proctor and Gamble, the supplier of Tampax.
A spokesman for Guardian said: "We've been advised that the stock will only reach Singapore and be available in the market within the next couple of months."
