How disasters reshape supply chains: Lessons for the COVID-19 crisis

The immediate consequences of natural disasters for global value chains are well-documented, but little is known about the longer term. This column examines the long-term impact of the 2011 earthquake in Japan on auto and electronics supply chains using data on imports of Japanese products worldwide. Imports shifted to new suppliers, especially in products where dependence on Japan was greater. The new suppliers tended to be developing and large countries, suggesting cost and scale were important. The observed pattern of switching may be relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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