Product manufacturing has long been a staple for the far east, with packaging from China also often being thrown into the deal. But since Covid things have changed.
Price is often the deciding factor when buyers compare packaging from China with domestic suppliers and often the far eastern suppliers would win.
So what has changed?
Since Covid struck, China was expected to be ‘closed’ for a lot longer than it actually was, so just as containers and shipping were winding down for the anticipated slow down of exports, Chinese manufacturing was back up and running and suddenly there became a lack of capacity. This combined with a domestic boom in China the prices for exporting around the world and especially the UK have become inflated.
How long will this last? Very difficult to predict, but UK manufacturers have stepped up and we are no exception, we’ve seen a huge increase in demand.
So what are the benefits of buying in the UK?
- Reduced lead times (from our experience around 50% quicker)
- You enjoy direct control and can pass on press (where required)
- Hard copy proofing quick and easy.
- Convenient hours for getting in touch.
- Technical terms can get lost in translation.
- Ethical considerations such as working conditions and pay.
- Enhanced quality control & accountability.
- No risk of ‘lost on the water’
- Costs comparable
With the cost of containers still rising, the UK Packaging industry is gearing up to handle the increased demand which means now is the time to secure your supply as there is already limits on some substrates in Europe – this will only be short term but the wise buyers are already building relationships with UK packaging suppliers and building a stock buffer to ensure supply for the coming months.
If you would like to see and learn more about packaging, please visit our website for the our dedicated packaging arm of the business here.