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Fresh Air

Inside The Breakdown Of The Global Supply Chain

Jun 24, 2024
Peter Goodman, a New York Times correspondent and author of "How the World Ran Out of Everything," delves into the chaotic breakdown of the global supply chain during the pandemic. He discusses how risky management and corporate greed exacerbated shortages. Goodman highlights the struggles of small business owners navigating skyrocketing shipping costs and labor shortages. He connects historical deregulation to current inflation issues while contrasting these insights with storytelling themes from the new series "Orphan Black: Echoes."
46:00

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The global supply chain breakdown was caused by risky management practices and a pursuit of higher profits.
  • Manufacturing domestically in the US versus overseas in China poses complexities and cost disparities.

Deep dives

Impact on Supply Chain Due to Pandemic Disruptions

The podcast delves into the far-reaching disruptions in the supply chain caused by the early pandemic months, resulting in shortages of essential products like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and computer chips. It highlights instances such as California growers unable to export one billion pounds of almonds, shedding light on the vulnerabilities stemming from business decisions favoring short-term profits and weakened government regulation.

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