How the supply chain is coping with the worldwide pandemic crisis

摘要

China will continue to be central to the world and container shipping once the engine of international business is again running on full power, says Institute for Supply Management chief executive Tom Derry. He tells Container Shipping & Trade most industrial companies have long planned for and taken precautions against emergencies such as fire and flood. "Those are the hidden costs of the supply chain, but they are localised and specific. A countrywide systemic emergency such as the coronavirus is completely new territory for everyone. This is what shippers and carriers are having to deal with and consider now." With world attention zeroed in on the effects of the pandemic and lockdown, Mr Derry reminds policymakers that shippers were already grappling with other shocks. "The 25% tariffs on goods from China have been a continuing battle for industry and came as a supply shock. This led to businesses buying ahead, before the tariffs came in, and a surge in orders."