Japanese McDonalds chains is rationing French fry sizes as COVID-19 and floods in Canada decreased potato imports, the Guardian reported Tuesday.
McDonald’s Japan locations will sell only small-sized French fries until Dec. 31, The Guardian reported.
“We import potatoes from North America on a large scale near the port of Vancouver, Canada, which is the transit point for shipping services. Import delays have occurred due to flood damage and the impact of the Corona disaster on the global distribution network,” the company said in a report.
The company is taking alternative measures to import sources during the shortage, such as flying supplies to Japan, according to the report.
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND – SEPTEMBER 01: Cars queue up at McDonald’s Linwood on September 01, 2021 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
They also experienced a shortage of French fries in 2014 when a dispute between 20,000 dockworkers, terminal operators, and shipping lines at 29 U.S. west coast ports occurred, BBC reported. To resolve the issue, McDonald’s only sold small sizes of fries while it flew in 1,000 tons of potatoes. (RELATED: Woman Gets Arrested After Getting Into A Fight With McDonald’s Employees In A Crazy Viral Video)
McDonald’s also faced shortages of shakes and water bottles in August in its 1,250 United Kingdom locations, according to BBC. The company blamed the shortages on a nationwide lack of lorry drivers. “A number of issues are impacting retailers in the UK at the moment, one of which is the nationwide shortage of HGV drivers,” they said.
The company also shared that they had a “historic” shortage of drivers due to changes in rules after the UK exited the European Union.