Silver Spring, MD—The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) hasreported a range of supply chain issuesto the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to a press release. The issues were submitted by members and by others in the herbal community.

AHPA is continuing to collect supply chain data to inform the industry, regulators, and lawmakers. If your company is currently encountering any import or export delays, ingredient supply shortages, or other disruptions, AHPA invites you tocomplete their survey. AHPA notes in the release that while the survey provides the option to identify you and your company, that information will not be shared when AHPA reports the data.
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Issues reported to USDA largely fall into the following categories:

Botanical raw materialsconsisting of unprocessed plants and plant extracts, from Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico and Taiwan. Identified examples include: agave, arnica, bilberry, boswellia, cilantro, echinacea, elderberry, gentian, hawthorn, linden, and lomatium, passionflower, pomegranate, reishi and turmeric. Food ingredients were also identified, including lentils and rice.

Proprietary ingredients including botanical extracts from Italy and New Zealand.

Letter vitamins and other dietary ingredients from China and India, including CoQ10, ascorbic acid, and calcium D glucarate, as well as “letter vitamins” generally described.

Supplies for manufacturing, including a reported disruption to the supply of organic alcohol (ethanol), an essential ingredient used as a solvent in botanical extraction operations. No specific source country was identified but the primary supply for most AHPA members is reportedly domestic.

Packaging materials and supplies from China and Mexico, including glass and plastic bottles, bottle closures, etc. Some respondents also report supply disruptions of these materials even from U.S. suppliers.

Supplies for sanitation procedures, including isopropyl alcohol, nitrile gloves, and face masks. Source countries identified include China, and again, even U.S. suppliers of these materials.

Services, including issues with availability of contract manufacturer and bottling operations, at least regionally in some parts of the U.S.