Shipping crisis from floods in Europe, China threatens holiday shopping

Industry insiders are warning that recent bouts of flooding in Europe and China are hitting global supply chains, threatening to drive up prices and cause shipping delays by Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

Western Europe and China’s Henan province, an important industrial and shipping hub, are both recovering from severe floods. While travel infrastructure and power have been restored in both regions, the flooding has damaged transportation routes like highways and — especially in China — is disrupting the country’s supply chain, including the production of food, cars and coal.