Let’s first look at some local animated pictures in the United States. Can you imagine that this is a scene that would appear in the United States?

Recently, wildfires in the western United States have continued to rage, smoke and dust have covered the sky, the sky in San Francisco has been dyed orange, and the smell of death has enveloped the entire city. A local resident in San Francisco said: "It's like the end of the world. It's clearly daytime, but it looks like night!"

According to data from the U.S. National Fire Center, on the 12th, a total of 97 major fires were burning throughout the West , leaving 500,000 people homeless.

According to NBC, wildfires in the western United States are still continuing to burn. As of local time on the 12th, the fires have killed at least 33 people and dozens of people are missing. In California, Oregon and Washington, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes due to wildfires.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles is facing the worst smog in 26 years. For those Americans who did not evacuate, they are also suffering from power outages and air pollution.

As Amazon's peak season is approaching, many sellers are actively preparing for big promotions, but with shipping restrictions in the first place and wildfires in the West Coast, will the logistics situation in the United States be good? Can sellers still ship normally?

The impact of wildfires on Amazon logistics

Since the beginning of this year, affected by various factors such as the epidemic, riots, and fires, the logistics situation is not optimistic. On the one hand, logistics prices have frequently risen, and on the other hand, logistics timeliness is difficult to guarantee.

There has never been a break in the news about the fire in the United States. I believe many sellers still remember the previous fire in the Amazon warehouse. For sellers, nothing is more important than their own goods.

So what impact does the wildfire in the western United States have on Amazon’s logistics?

1. Cargo safety cannot be guaranteed

Currently, the wildfires in the United States are mainly occurring in California, Oregon, and Washington. Sellers who have goods distributed to warehouses in the above-mentioned areas should be aware that the safety of the goods cannot be guaranteed due to the raging fires, so they should buy insurance just in case.

2. Delayed delivery at the end

In addition to warehouse safety issues, sellers should also pay attention to tail-end delivery. Due to the raging wildfires, severe air pollution in some parts of the United States, and the epidemic, the number of drivers responsible for tail-end delivery will also decrease, and tail-end delays are inevitable.

In addition, some freight forwarders stated that due to the California wildfires, UPS pickup scanning and delivery will be delayed to a certain extent.

3. Rising logistics prices

As early as last week, news of rising logistics prices began to spread, and a screenshot of the latest freight rates on the US line was also circulating in the circle of friends.

It can be seen that the logistics prices for the US routes have all been raised. Some freight forwarders have also stated that many shipping companies have stopped operating and overseas warehouses are now facing warehouse explosions. In the next few weeks, logistics prices may be raised due to the wildfires in the west coast of the United States.

In addition, USPS, UPS, and FedEx have all begun to impose holiday surcharges. The USPS price increase will last from October 18 to December 27, with price increases ranging from $0.24 to $1.5 per package. UPS said that the total holiday surcharge could be as high as $3 per package, and the fee will be determined by the percentage increase in each customer's package volume starting in February 2020.

New business opportunities amid wildfires

Everything has two sides. In addition to the negative impacts mentioned above, wildfires have also brought new business opportunities to sellers. Some products have unexpectedly become popular due to the spread of wildfires, which has also provided sellers with new ideas for product selection.

1. Relief supplies

Due to the wildfires in the United States, at least 33 people have died and tens of thousands have been affected. The occurrence of the disaster will further enhance people's awareness of disaster prevention and survival.

Therefore, selling related first aid products and relief supplies at this time may be able to meet the needs of the American people. Products such as sleeping bags, tents, fuel bottles, emergency shelter kits, etc. are all directions that sellers can consider.

2. Anti-haze products

Affected by the wildfires in the western United States, many cities in the United States are facing severe smog and poor air conditions. Smog may make people more susceptible to infection with the new coronavirus.

At this time, anti-haze products are very important. Anti-haze masks, air purifiers, humidifiers, anti-haze screens, etc. are all hot-selling products.

3. Cooling products

The California Electric Power Agency said on September 5 that due to a new round of high temperatures, various parts of the state will take rotating power outages to ensure power supply.

When power outages and fires occur, coupled with continued high temperatures, it is easy to imagine how unbearable life will be for the American people. Therefore, sellers can also start with cooling products and expand their product selection to the heat-relief category. USB handheld fans, ice silk cooling neck scarves, automatic awnings and other products are all good choices.

Against the backdrop of a current decline in overall seller traffic, sellers of the above-mentioned products may see some improvement. For a moment, facing the wildfires in the United States, it is unclear whether sellers should be happy or sad.

Although crises can bring business opportunities, the long duration and severe impact of the wildfires in the United States are worthy of sellers' attention. Before the peak season arrives, sellers should pay more attention to the dynamics of the countries where they operate, abide by Amazon's rules, and operate with caution.

Previously, many sellers had their shipments cancelled by Amazon because they exceeded the shipping restrictions, resulting in the tragic scene of goods drifting on the sea and shipments being cancelled. Therefore, sellers are advised not to harbor luck and touch the minefield to prevent Amazon from settling accounts later.

Regarding the wildfires in the western United States, what impact do you think it has on you? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to discuss ~