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Don’t let globalisation run aground

Editorial

The Economist

The container ship that got stuck in the Suez canal seems symbolic, says The Economist. Since the 1990s supply chains have been run to maximise efficiency, but there are growing concerns that long, complex supply chains are a “source of vulnerability”. Witness the scramble for PPE, testing kits and vaccines. Suddenly governments are talking of resilience and self-reliance. In the past year, countries have passed around 140 special trade restrictions. But while “self-reliance” sounds safe, we should