McDonald’s restaurants in Japan are rationing french fries after a labour dispute at US ports crimped supplies of potatoes.
The company will only offer small fries to customers as it copes with the shortage, McDonald’s Japanese business said on its website. The policy will be in place until a steady supply of spuds can be ensured, the fast-food chain said.
McDonald’s is the latest company to suffer from a slowdown at West Coast ports, which has hindered the flow of goods in and out of the country. Macy’s said last month that it was seeing delays getting products onto shelves, and the department-store chain called on President Barack Obama to help resolve the impasse.
The Southern California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which serve as the biggest US container hub, have been hampered by labour negotiations, equipment shortages and rail delays. Unions and management have been mired in talks since their six-year contract expired on 1 July.
For the Japanese operations of McDonald’s, the fry shortage deals another blow to a business already suffering from a vendor scandal. The company, Japan’s biggest restaurant chain, had to remove chicken products that used meat from China from its menus in July after Shanghai Husi Food Co. acknowledged that it had changed sell-by dates. The fallout continued to be felt last month, when McDonald’s same-store sales in Japan fell 12 percent.
Bloomberg News, edited by ESM
