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About That Manufacturing Renaissance
The Biden Administration asserts there’s a “manufacturing renaissance” underway in the United States. Before it, the Trump administration claimed much the same. The federal government has certainly handed out a…
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Of Value Chains and Inflation
What do central banks have to do with value chains? Traditionally, not much. I think that’s one reason for the resurgence of inflation in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.…
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Automation on the Docks
From time to time, I’m lucky enough to be able to visit container terminals: some of the people who run them are familiar with my books, and they are kind…
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Nearshoring in Mexico Is Mainly an Aspiration
There’s been much talk about “nearshoring,” the idea that manufacturers are reducing risk in their supply chains by bringing production closer to their end markets. Mexico is supposedly one of…
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What Makes a High Performer?
The World Bank puts immense effort into its Container Port Performance Index. The index, compiled annually with the help of S&P Global Market Intelligence, ranks ports based on how much…
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The Population Bust
The notion that demographic change will slow the flow of trade in manufactured goods met some resistance when I suggested it a few years ago in Outside the Box. Some…