99% Invisible cover image

99% Invisible

How the World Ran Out of Everything

Oct 29, 2024
Peter Goodman, an economics reporter for the New York Times and author of "How the World Ran Out of Everything," delves into the pandemic's impact on global supply chains. He reveals how just-in-time inventory systems and the invention of the shipping container revolutionized logistics but also made them fragile. Goodman shares the struggles of a U.S. toy maker facing supply disruptions and explores China's rise as a manufacturing giant. He emphasizes the need for regulatory changes to improve labor standards amidst this chaos.
33:37

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Quick takeaways

  • The pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in the global supply chain, spotlighting issues like corporate greed and over-reliance on overseas manufacturing.
  • The invention of the shipping container revolutionized logistics efficiency, but its adoption also led to increased automation and reduced need for dock workers.

Deep dives

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