The Global Freight Crisis Shrunk The McDonald’s Philippines Potato Portions

Due to “the global freight crisis”, McDonald's Philippines has paused sales of larger portions of their fries. Initially, the fast-food chain released advisories on their website that larger sizes of fries were not available for delivery.

McDonald's then posted an announcement on their social media accounts that they will be limiting their fries to only their regular size, for now, holding off their medium, large, and BFF servings. The restaurant assured customers that they are “working hard to bring back all sizes very soon,” according to Philstar Global.

Earlier this year, a report from the Washington Post mentioned that there has been a growing potato shortage worldwide as a result of “the COVID-19 pandemic [...] bad weather, blights, or labor disputes.”

Feeling the weight from the potato shortage are Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan. South Korea, for example, began replacing their fries with chicken nuggets and cheese sticks as asides option.

According to Business Insider, McDonald's said potato shortages have not been a problem for stores in the United States, which stores in Asia heavily rely on for potato imports.