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  • 2023
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

Global Supply Chains: The Looming 'Great Reallocation'

By: Laura Alfaro and Davin Chor
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:51
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Abstract

Global supply chains have come under unprecedented stress as a result of U.S.-China trade tensions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical shocks. We document shifts in the pattern of U.S. participation in global value chains over the last four decades, in terms of partner countries, products, and modes, with a focus on the last five years (2017–2022). The available data point to a looming “great reallocation” in supply chain activity: Direct U.S. sourcing from China has decreased, with low-wage locations (principally: Vietnam) and nearshoring/friendshoring alternatives (notably: Mexico) gaining in import share. The production line positioning of the U.S.’ imports has also become more upstream, which is indicative of some reshoring of production stages. We sound several cautionary notes over the policies that have set this reallocation in motion: It is unclear if these measures will reduce U.S. dependence on supply chains linked to China, and there are moreover already signs that prices of imports from Vietnam and Mexico are on the rise.

Keywords

Supply Chain; International Relations; Trade; Globalized Markets and Industries

Citation

Alfaro, Laura, and Davin Chor. "Global Supply Chains: The Looming 'Great Reallocation'." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 24-012, August 2023. (in proceedings Jackson Hole Symposium, 2023 (also NBER WP 31661). See feature in NBER Digest, Nov (2023): Economics, Politics, and the Evolution of Global Supply Chains.)

Supplemental Information

Jackson Hole Symposium, "Global Supply Chains: The Looming 'Great Reallocation'"
Slides presented on "Global Supply Chains: The Looming 'Great Reallocation'" at the Jackson Hole Symposium.
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About The Author

Laura Alfaro

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More from the Authors
  • Trade and Industrial Policy in Supply Chains: Directed Technological Change in Rare Earths By: Laura Alfaro, Harald Fadinger, Jay Schymik and Gede Virananda
  • Trade Within Multinational Boundaries By: Laura Alfaro, Paola Conconi, Fariha Kamal and Zachary Kroff
  • Bank Financing of Global Supply Chains By: Laura Alfaro, Mariya Brussevich, Camelia Minoiu and Andrea Presbitero
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