A post on reddit earlier today indicated that shipments from Indonesia had been mostly cut off due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, which is a big deal since Indonesia supplies 95% of the United States’ Kratom. Specifically, the post mentions that POS Indonesia and DHL, the two most readily available methods for shipping Kratom from Indonesia, have been shut down.
Comments from other people on reddit indicate that air cargo is definitely shutdown, and that the ports in Indonesia are like ghost towns, but apparently with the right connections it is still possible to export Kratom by sea from Indonesia.
Kratom Cafe reached out to multiple Kratom vendors to corroborate this information, and indeed air shipments are closed off, but container shipping via the ocean is still running for now.
This is a big deal, since individuals who import Kratom into the United States completely depend on air shipping methods like DHL and POS Indonesia, so individuals will no longer be able to import Kratom into the United States.
Additionally, there are rumors that Kratom packages are being held more than usual at Customs at the United States border, so even people who shipped Kratom via air mail before Indonesia shut down air exports are at risk of having their packages delayed for weeks or months.
Further, most Kratom vendors depend on air mail for importing Kratom from Indonesia.
Since 95% of the United States’ Kratom supply comes from Indonesia, this situation will cause the Kratom supply to dwindle in the United States, and Kratom prices will likely rise. Many Kratom vendors could ultimately run out of Kratom God forbid.
The question that comes up at this point is how long this will last. Based on data from Johns Hopkins University there are 2,000 Coronavirus cases in Indonesia and 180 deaths, so the Coronavirus Pandemic is only just beginning in Indonesia.
Based on the time frame of the Coronavirus in other countries around the world, Coronavirus cases tend to ramp up for 2-3 months before hitting a peak.
Keep in mind this is just an estimate, but in any case the United States seems to be facing possibly months of significantly reduced Kratom supply, and there is a chance that the United States’ Kratom supply could be completely cut off if Indonesia ultimately decides to shut down ports God forbid.
Considering all of this, it is an excellent time to stock up on Kratom now, before certain strains run out or prices begin to ramp up. Kratom vendors do tend to have Kratom stockpiles that can last some time, but considering the uncertain nature of how long the Kratom supply from Indonesia will be cut off, it is quite possible that prices will start rising significantly.
On a final note, although Kratom vendors should logically raise their prices after this news came out, Amazing Botanicals is actually lowering prices via a 35% discount if you use the code APRIL, in order to ensure that everyone has the Kratom they need to get through this crisis.