A couple of years ago, pre-pandemic, I was telling people how I could get Viking malt from halfway across the world for much less than I could get malt from our local maltster, Admiral Maltings in Alameda, CA. British malts were in between. It was clear that the cost of shipping was negligible compared to the cost of labor, land, etc.
That is no longer true. Viking malts are still cheaper, but not dramatically so. The cost of Simpson's Golden Promise has shot way up, while Admiral Maltings has cut their prices and the two now cost the same ($10.99 for a 5 lb bag at MoreBeer). The supply chain issues we have heard about ad nauseum are affecting malt, too. I like buying from local maltsters, and now I don't have to justify paying a higher price to do so. Of course I will still use Golden Promise in British ales.