The global business trade seemed to grind to a halt this past March when the Ever Given container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal. Loads of product shipments were impacted, including the Nintendo Switch.
During a recent investor conference call, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about regional demand for the Nintendo Switch. He replied that due to covid-19, there have been delays in freight traffic, causing shortages for some retailers outside Japan. As noted by Stephen Totilo, the Ever Given was also ever a factor.
“In particular,” said Furukawa, “the accident that blocked the Suez Canal caused delays in the transportation of products bound for Europe, and retail inventories are tight in some countries.”
This isn’t surprising, because that big boat blockage sure caused big problems! According to the BBC, it held up $9.6 billion bucks’ worth of goods a day.
While the Ever Given was finally freed after a week, it lives on in our hearts and memories in Microsoft Flight Simulator and the game Suez Canal Bulldozer.