Large format printing materials importer and supplier, Rojo Pacific, has stepped forward to say that the coronavirus epidemic spreading across the world has had ‘little impact’ on its business.
The COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) has prompted questions to suppliers who source from China.
However, Rojo Pacific managing director John Wright said that at least in his company’s case, the impact of the virus has so far been negligible.
While rumours circulate about the security of supply from China, Wright mentioned that Rojo’s manufacturing partners in the country are in ‘full manufacturing mode’, with a good supply of raw materials, albeit with some staff working from home due to temporary government regulations limiting movements.
“The Lunar New Year holiday always has an impact on lead times, but despite some staff returning to work later than usual due to the health alerts, this year has been little different from normal, with orders being shipped as planned, containers cleared, and deliveries to our warehouse continuing unabated,” Wright said.
He added that much of the company’s range of specialised textiles and wide-format print media is sourced from Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Europe, reducing risk and providing plenty of options for alternate source of supply, should that become necessary.
“We also keep between three- and six-months’ supply of most products in our warehouse to guard against any supply chain issues. So, while we have no expectation of delays on new orders, our customers can rest easy knowing that buffer is in place,” he mentioned.
Wright has also advised that any businesses concerned about the availability of product which originates in China should contact their supplier directly for information.
“We understand that certainty of supply is of huge importance, and we’re in constant communication with our partners in China, and with our customers here in Australia, to make sure we all stay fully informed as the situation evolves.”
However, the coronavirus outbreak has affected some trade shows, with Sign China 2020, along with a few other associated trade shows indefinitely postponed.
Operations of a few businesses have also been affected, like the case of Konica Minolta, which had to halt its Chinese operations for a few days.
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