The structure of the world’s supply chains is changing
The pandemic and war in Ukraine have speeded up the transformation
Supply chains are the fibres out of which the past decades’ globalisation is woven. Time and again they have allowed intrepid outward-looking manufacturers to undercut their stay-at-home competitors and component-makers to find roles in new markets.
Networks of aircraft, email and container ships, not to mention railways and pipelines, have tied together businesses in Guangdong and Oregon, Durban and Dubai, Rennes and Punta Arenas. Masters of their use, such as Airbus or Apple, can create technological marvels from components provided in dozens of different countries using raw materials brought in from yet farther afield.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline "Chain reaction"
From the June 18th 2022 edition
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