Whirlpool on Friday blamed "inefficiency across the supply chain" for the "quite brutal" rise in steel, resin and other materials prices, saying it would add nearly $1 billion to the appliance maker's costs this year.

"on any given day, there is something out of stock in the store," said Viktor Sankaran, chief executive of Albertson. He likens the grocery store chain's efforts to cope with successive challenges to a game of Whac-A-Mole.

Asked this week what ingredients and supplies Chipotle had difficulty getting, Hartung, the restaurant chain's chief financial officer, replied: "both."

From factory closures triggered by the outbreak to the difficulty of finding enough staff to unload trucks, every part of the supply chain is under pressure, which is spreading to all industries, adding to questions about the threat posed by inflation to strong consumer spending and a rebound in corporate profits.

In recent days, America's largest airlines have complained about soaring jet fuel costs. Toy maker Mattel has clarified the challenges posed by rising resin prices, while Danaher CorpIt has also joined the ranks of manufacturers who find it difficult to procure electronic components.

Supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages have slowed economic growth in most parts of the United States, according to a summary report on the state of the economy released by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. "prices have risen sharply in most regions, driven by rising demand for goods and raw materials," the report said. "

Ethan Karp, CEO of Magnet, a not-for-profit consultancy that works with manufacturers, said busy ports, a shortage of truck drivers and record warehouse vacancy rates collided with strong demand from consumers and business customers, creating "silent chaos".

"they are busier than ever, but they can't find anyone to transport what they have already produced," he said. " He added that companies were suffering from unpredictable delays and paying too high a price for supplies found in the grey market, but "the situation is very chaotic and getting worse because of a steady stream of orders."

Most companies say they are trying to offset these cost increases by raising their own prices or looking for efficiency elsewhere.

Procter & Gamble Co, who produces Tide washing powder.It said this week that it would launch a new round of price increases after the company warned that supply chain costs would be higher than previously expected. Schulten, Procter & Gamble Co's chief financial officer, said the company had announced price increases for nine of its 10 product categories in the US, with price increases of about 5 per cent for most products.

Earlier this month, PepsiCo IncSaid that the price increase may continue into the first quarter of next year, while Tesla, Inc.It said it was also adjusting prices to make up for rising commodity and labour costs.

Executives expect cost pressures to continue into 2022. "I don't think inflation will disappear in the next one, two or three quarters."

"We know we have pricing power," but he added: "for some products, the price that customers are willing to pay will be limited."

Puckett, VF Corp's chief financial officer, said the company had controlled price cuts on Vans sneakers and North Face jackets to boost profit margins in spite of plant closures in Asia and congested US ports.

"I think inflation will start to moderate over time, but our plan is that we will continue to see a sharp rise in freight prices in the future," he said. "

Nocella, United's chief commercial officer, echoed the message on Wednesday, saying that congestion at US ports meant the company was "using aircraft that it did not traditionally have" to transport cargo, which the company expects to continue into 2022.