Despite Christmas trees being a western Christian tradition, many Hong Kong residents and businesses consider it a must to have one at their homes and enterprises. But since fir trees don't grow in Hong Kong, the people from the Chinese administrative region import it mostly from the U.S.

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However, contract negotiations between unions and port operators in the West Coast caused a 60 percent slowdown in port operations, threatening the delivery of Christmas trees to Hong Kong, which in 2013 imported 22,000 Christmas trees.

To address the port delays, Cathay Pacific pilots Sven Schuetz and Roland Janisiw set up the website Xmastree Online, which offers to deliver to Hong Kong residents Christmas trees by just ordering them online. A seven-foot tree costs HK$1,199, while delivery charge is HK$119.

The portal points out, "No matter where you are from or what your Christmas tradition might be, only the sweet fragrance of authentic fir needles and the look of your tree will leave you with a sense of wonderment and nostalgia, adding to the festive coziness of the winter season."

However, its order of 1,800 firs packed in three container vans were held up at the port due to the industrial problem, which would delay shipment by three weeks.

Restaurants and companies in Hong Kong pleaded with them to do something because the Christmas feel is not complete for yearend holiday parties without a Christmas tree.

The two pilots contacted their friends in the aviation industry and managed to fly in 200 fir trees which saved Christmas for some Hong Kong people.

However, the U.S. as a major supply of fir trees may soon become a thing of the past because the number of fir farms in Nebraska are drastically going down as few new Christmas tree farms are established, while the owners of existing ones retire, die or sell their farms to property developers who have other plans for the lands, reports Journal Star.

According to Dave Glass, owner of the Pine Path Tree Farms near Hastings and spokesman of the Nebraska Christmas Trees Growers Association, the group's membership is down to less than 20 from over 50 in the 1970s. The decline is confirmed by state and federal agriculture departments.

The Census of Agriculture report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said number of Nebraska acres dedicated to Christmas tree production was only 642 in 2012 from 1,068 in 2002. There are only 23 pick and harvest farms in the state, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

The trend is true across the U.S. with number of producers down to 12,976 and harvested trees to 17.3 million in 2012 from 14,677 and 20.8 million trees, respectively, in 2002.

The sale of Christmas trees is still a big business in the U.S. In 2013, Americans purchased more than 33 million real Christmas trees worth US$1.16 billion and another 14.7 million fake trees worth US$1.19 billion.

There is also a noticeable shift where to buy Christmas trees as more consumer prefer to purchase one at chain stores like Walmart than farms.

Tagschristmas tree, xmastree online