Today is the start of the Chinese New Year. It is the biggest holiday in China and it has a large impact on American businesses that rely on China for their products.
This celebration has always been a disruptor in the global supply chain as thousands of factories will shut down for two to four weeks.
That is where the U.S. comes in, specifically Wisconsin. The state is known for being the top producers of ginseng, and is sought after around the world.
According to Julia Nunes, “Ginseng is a big part of Chinese New Year, very popular in a lot of Asian cultures, and during the Chinese New Year a lot of people will give Wisconsin ginseng as a gift, and it’s known as a gift of good health... So, about 85 percent of all cultivated ginseng we grow here is exported to Asian countries, and we grow a lot of ginseng in Wisconsin. About 95 percent of all the cultivated ginseng in the U.S. is from right here in Wisconsin, so we are the ginseng capital.”
It is a key ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine, and is known to boost energy and support a health immune system.