Global Trade and the Supply Chain

In the United States, one of the many byproducts of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic has been a shortage of supplies of almost every kind. Americans accustomed to buying whatever they wanted whenever they wanted suddenly found themselves confronting long lines and empty shelves. Most had never considered the complex worldwide supply chain until they were inconvenienced. What, in fact, do today’s supply chains look like? Can trade policy be used effectively by nation states? Is globalization a force for good, or has it increased tensions around the world? The viewpoints in this resource explore this complicated issue.