Canada is experiencing a shortage of tapioca pearls, or boba, used in bubble tea as shipping delays continue to affect the global supply chain.

Most Canadian wholesalers get bubble tea supplies from Asia, particularly from Taiwan, where the popular drink originated, said a Vancouver-based supplier of bubble tea products.

B次元官网网址淩ight now, the supply of popping boba and (tapioca) pearls are running really thin,B次元官网网址� said Greg Tieu of Bubble Tea Canada, which provides wholesale supplies to companies in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

This is causing concern among bubble tea cafes and shops in Canada as demand for the drink grows with warmer weather, Tieu said.

Bubble tea, a Taiwanese tea-based drink, commonly features chewy pearls of tapioca or boba, which are made from the starch of cassava.

Tieu said the shortage is caused by the pandemic, coupled with the obstruction of the Suez Canal last month after a container ship blocked the trade route.

B次元官网网址淭he cost of that (delay) is being passed onto shops and consumers,B次元官网网址� he said, noting that the backlog has caused some wholesale prices to go up.

B次元官网网址淭hat stop in the supply chain can hit stores very hard, whether theyB次元官网网址檒l have supplies or not.B次元官网网址�

The delays are not only affecting the supply of tapioca pearls, popping boba and flavoured syrups but also items such as disposable cups, he added.

The shortage has been going on for at least two weeks and could take months to catch up, he said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping the backlog would catch up,B次元官网网址� said Tieu, adding that the business has started to limit purchase quantities.

AB Distribution, a Canada-wide bubble tea products distributor based in Calgary, said it is also experiencing a shortage tied to delays.

Some shipments that should have arrived in March are only arriving this week, said Carol Tang, AB DistributionB次元官网网址檚 sales manager.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 definitely a lot of unpredictable factors. Shipments can be cancelled, containers can be cancelled, even when we already have them scheduled,B次元官网网址� she said.

Tang said this can cause a lot of stress for businesses.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping that once we get through this jam, the remaining arrivals will continue to arrive,B次元官网网址� she said.

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