I think the comeback of manufacturing after the pandemic is hitting everybody really hard. For my business, I've had orders with my aluminum foundry since early March for my standard intake adapters, my high riser intake adapters, my cylinder heads, and my valve covers. Usually I can count on a 3-4 week delivery from this foundry, but the first estimated ship date I got was late May, then it went to June 15, and just this week it shifted out to July 23. Meanwhile, I'm out of intake adapters, and can't get the cylinder heads and valve covers. When I go to the foundry and look around I have never, in 8 years of doing business with them, seen them so busy.
It's not just automotive either. I ordered more books from the printing company in February, but ran out in April, and they still have not delivered the order. When I talk to them they say that during the pandemic, many of the smaller printing shops ran out of money and had to close up. So, now that everybody wants their stuff printed again, the companies that are left are buried in orders. Small customers, like me, have to wait.
Everyone has heard about the shortage of semiconductors and how it has stopped automobile production at the major manufacturers, but this problem is everywhere, and yes, the pandemic is largely to blame...