The scope and fragility of supply chains in international trade have come under scrutiny. The COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have raised concerns over the resilience of supply chains, whereas environmental problems highlight the need for sustainable supply chains.
Geopolitical shocks, the digitization of processes in supply chain management, and an increasing public concern about the distributional impact of trade and globalization add further complexity to the discussion of what supply chains could or should look like. Policymakers feel the need to design regulatory responses to these challenges, yet there is a danger that governments may take an inappropriate ‘pick ‘n’ mix’ approach to policies. In particular, the pretext of supply chain resilience could be used as a get-out clause for a wide range of industrial policy interventions.
This event draws on insights from a Briefing Paper and will discuss ways to achieve more international cooperation and coordination, so as to address supply chain vulnerabilities and avoid disguised protectionism.
This event is part of a collaboration between Chatham House and the University of Sussex under its UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO) partnership and complements Chatham House’s wider engagement in global trade issues including the Chatham House Global Trade Policy Forum.
