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Current status of Kava shipping/supply

Plantacious

Kava Enthusiast
Apologies, as I had no idea which was the proper sub-forum for this.
I'm sure our mods will kindly put this thread in the right place.

But I did search every sub-forum and did not find a thread on this. But I'm sure it's on almost everyone's minds.
With the current virus activity going on around the world, as well as the travel bans, I am wondering if, and how, kava might be affected.

Again, not just directly from the virus itself, potentially causing possible contamination with the product (or maybe not at all ! )
But also, and perhaps more likely than the above, perhaps shipping may be interrupted, delayed, or halted, due to the economic measures, travel
bans/restrictions, etc.
Could there be any issue with ordering, shipping, and receiving it ?
I live in the U.S., so my first question, would be how it applies to us.
When travel is banned from certain countries, does that affect shipment of certain cargo ?

I know that some "cargo" is actually shipped on "passenger planes".
But as far as kava, does that get shipped separately on cargo planes/ships ?
And if so, would the cargo face a lot more scrutiny, to make sure objects aren't carrying the virus ?
 
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Hightide

Kava Enthusiast
I would expect shipping to not halt completely but just be delayed. We live in a globalized economy, I think it will be difficult to impose strict shipping regulations. Also, I think a lot of people will be ordering more online instead of going out in public, so shipping services should remain running. Maybe they will just ban shipping from heavily infected areas. Just my thinking on it though. To be safe I would order earlier than usual
 

Plantacious

Kava Enthusiast
Most, if not all, of the kava going via airfreight goes on passenger flights. Mostly via Auckland, New Zealand or Brisbane, Australia. Fiji flies direct to America so usually the kava can go direct.

These routs have been MASSIVELY affected by the crisis. NZ has cut its flights to America by 80%, Quantas has stopped flying overseas. Air Vanuatu is doing their last flights now and might cease flying for a month. While DHL etc have their own cargo planes, they dont use them to fly to Tonga or Vanuatu, the volumes and value of goods is just too small for these routes, especially now when demand for cargo planes is MASSIVE.

In short, vendors will be affected. Big time. If cargo flights continue out of vanuatu, tonga, fiji etc , we are talking about smaller delays in transit points. If nothing flies out of the islands, then people will need to import kava by ship and this will cause very signiicant delays.
Currently, as far as I know, shipping or flights, are only restricted to and from certain countries.
And as far as I know, the countries affected do not include the major ones that cultivate or sell kava (south pacific and U.S.)
To my knowledge, only Asia and Europe have flight restrictions.
Typically kava is not grown there, or sold by vendors there - to a large degree, I mean.
So, unless you LIVE in Europe or Asia, it seems like you will not be affected.
For example, living in the U.S., and receiving it by shipment, the shipment does not seems to include the forbidden areas in Europe and Asia, from start to finish in delivery.
 

High-King Havnar

Kava Curious
My Hawaiian Farmer friend said he'd ship me some after things are over. Figured they stopped shipping, or as stated severely restricted shipping, but he told me outbreak was bad where he is at.
 
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