Beds, clothing and paracetamol are among the goods delayed in reaching our shores due to Covid-19.
Worldwide supply and manufacturing shortages mean it could take between several months to one year before the arrival of some imports returns to normal.
At Auckland's port, the country is seeing less full containers arriving.
“At any one time where, generally without Covid, we're managing 40 to 50 potential supply issues at a time. At the moment, we're probably more like managing 100,” Pharmac’s Lisa Williams said.
In the last two weeks of April, imports from all countries were down 21 per cent, to a total worth of $1.83 billion.
Imports from China were up 11 per cent to $461 million.
“Covid-19's likely to impact on global manufacturing and supply chains, at least for the end of 2020 and potentially beyond,” Ms Willams said.
From February to March, the biggest falls in products were in clothing imports, which plunged $46 million, while aircraft and parts were down $28 million.
Beds and mattresses were down $21 million, while iron and steel saw a drop of $20 million.
Most of New Zealand’s medicines and medical devices are imported, and the country is already seeing shortages in paracetamol and one anti-depressant.
Pharmac said there will always be two months’ supply of every drug available, even if it must be innovative to make it happen.
“We've got stock to trade on, but we need to make sure that's used wisely,” Ms Williams said.
Manufacturing and supply issues have also hit major construction projects, including the City Rail Link in Auckland.
“You have to be flexible, and we're looking at Plan Bs and Plan Cs,” City Rail Link CEO Sean Sweeney said.
Big box retailers have also noticed the shortages.
“It's only until really, really recently that we've had full-on line. Up until then, we've only had essential products which have been two-tenths of almost nothing," Briscoes managing director Rod Duke said.
"The import slowdown has coincided with a retail slowdown."
Incoming cargo flights are expected to help ease the pressure, with mail company Freightways to charter five return flights a week to Australia.
“It'll mean that there's about 180 tonnes of capacity coming into New Zealand on a weekly basis through our aircraft, so it's a significant lift on what has been available, with a lack of passenger flights between Australia and New Zealand,” Freightways CEO Mark Troughear said.
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