The problems began last year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in labor, transportation and raw materials — economy-wide issues that didn’t spare the formula industry. Inventory was further squeezed by parents stockpiling during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Then in February, Abbott Nutrition recalled several major brands of powdered formula and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, factory when federal officials began investigating four babies who suffered bacterial infections after consuming formula from the facility. Abbott is one of only a handful of companies that produce the vast majority of the U.S. formula supply, so their recall wiped out a large segment of the market.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11932
What Impact Have Tariffs had On the Shortage?
It is difficult to assess the impact U.S. tariffs have had on the current shortage. The U.S. infant formula market, as mentioned above, is highly saturated, with domestic producers exceeding U.S. domestic demand by a considerable margin. That, coupled with the FDA’s nutritional requirements and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children’s (WIC) sole-sourcing contracting, may make the United States a relatively unattractive market for foreign manufacturers, particularly of low-cost infant formula
Problemet er først og fremst at man i USA produserer mer enn man trenger og så eksporterer, men så ble en av de største fabrikkene stengt pga 4 barn som ble syke etter å ha brukt produktet. Deretter at man ikke så hvor stort problemet ble og tok tak i det gjennom å midlertidig fjerne tariffer og gi incentiver til import når som man ikke lenger produserer mer i USA enn USA konsumerer.
Hvis man vil skylde på Putin for dette, så tror jeg man bommer.
Hvis man mener det gjør problemet større på en måte, sure, sikkert ok det. Men det er også formålet med sanksjoner: gjøre skade på seg selv og på motstanderen, men mer skade på motstanderen enn seg selv.