Rosanne Tremblay, owner of VSP Sports, points to a 'Made in China' label on an item in her store in Gatineau, Que. She's received notices from suppliers warning her shipments will be delayed due to coronavirus restrictions. (CBC)

Retailers in the National Capital Region say they're experiencing some delays in shipments because of restrictions related to the coronavirus.

Rosann Tremblay, owner of VPS Sports in Gatineau, Que., said she's already received emails from major suppliers warning her deliveries will be delayed.

"China seems to be a go-to country for importing merchandise," she said. "That's raising a flag for me of concern. If the coronavirus seems to be progressing, then you wonder how much more is it going to affect the industry?"

VPS Sports supplies custom clothing to Algonquin College, La Cité Collegiale and CÉGEP de l'Outaouais.

"The emails I received were for the promotional goods: the water bottles, the mugs — those are a lot of imports," said Tremblay, who estimates 60 per cent of the goods her store sells bear "Made in China" labels.

VPS Sports hasn't yet received any notices about delays in shipments of clothing, balls or other equipment, but Tremblay suspects it's a matter of time, ans said she's hoping to find Canadian suppliers who can meet those orders.

Rosann Tremblay, owner of VPS Sports in Gatineau, Que., says several of her major suppliers have told her that product deliveries will be delayed due to restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak. 0:49

Larger retailers also hit

Ottawa-based retailer Giant Tiger says it has also experienced some restrictions related to the coronavirus.

In a statement, the chain said it's working alongside the Retail Council of Canada to minimize the impact on Canadian consumers.

"The extended closure of factories, beyond Chinese New Year, will have a minor impact in the months to come," the statement said.

In a statement, discount retailer Giant Tiger said it's working to minimize the impact from manufacturing disruptions related to the coronavirus. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

Meanwhile, the University of Ottawa announced in an internal email that "all university-sponsored travel to China and all programming involving China have been suspended until further notice."

The university said it's in contact with students currently in China. It has advised students, faculty and staff who work in health-care institutions to follow directions given by their facility.

'A shock to the global economy'

Ross Prusakowski, an economist with Export Development Canada, said the coronavirus and the related response are already having an impact on the world economy.

"This is definitely a shock to the global economy. How big a shock is going to depend on how long and how severe the impact is," he said.

Prusakowski said the travel industry has already seen a dramatic hit with major flight cancellations. Global supply chains are already seeing disruption affecting such giants as Apple and Starbucks, as well as Canadian businesses.

"We probably see it [getting worse] the longer it goes on in terms of bigger products, technology products — especially given the manufacturing of components that goes on in China," he said.