Limited shipping services have led Samoa's biggest private employer to spend almost 430-thousand US dollars a month on air freight.
The General Manager of Yazaki Eds, Funefe'ai Oliva Va'ai told the Samoa Observer only one vessel now sails to Australia, via New Zealand, which is causing delays to refilling stock holdings in Melbourne.
Mr Va'ai says the vessel has a 16 day turn around time and the two previous vessels went straight to Australia from Samoa.
He says the New Zealand stop also means supplies are affected because of quarantine assessment requirements.
Yazaki has sought assistance from the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi on the shipping service and the company now has weekly consultations with the Prime Minister.
