'It's like Lego bricks': Shippers and consumers feel affects of overflowing ports

Bob Ballantyne broke a cord on his blinds in early July, and his repairman in Ottawa still hasn’t been able to replace the snapped part.

Bob Ballantyne broke a cord on his blinds in early July, and his repairman in Ottawa still hasn’t been able to replace the snapped part.

"He says, ‘You know, supply chain issues. I can't get the string that I need to fix it.’”

Ballantyne isn't alone. The pandemic sent shockwaves through the global supply chain and the backlogs are mounting even as freight volumes fall in North America this year.