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Traffic Handled by the Port of Los Angeles
The COVID-19 pandemic is having notable impacts on port activity with declines in traffic. The March 2020 figures for the Port of Los Angeles are 31% lower than March 2019 figures. February 2020 figures were 23% lower than February 2019 figures. The decline is attributed with the disappearance of much
Continue readingWest Texas Intermediate Oil Prices
Updated my graph about WTI spot prices. The current pandemic is having significant deflationary impacts on commodity prices, particularly oil. Mainly because of lower transport activity levels, the demand for oil has declined, inciting a collapse in prices.
Continue readingPandemics, hoarding behavior and supply chains (new page)
A brief overview of the impacts of hoarding on retail supply chains and how a pandemic represents a unique challenge.
Continue readingEmpty Drugstore Shelves from Hoarding Behavior
Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, March 2020. Hoarding is a common consumer response when facing uncertainties concerning the future availability of essential goods. During a natural disaster such as a hurricane or flooding, local stores can be emptied of goods such as bottled water, food, batteries, and construction materials. The concern
Factors behind the Global Spread of Diseases (new page)
A basic overview of the main factors that contribute to the spread of diseases in the current global context. Air travel remains the most salient risk factor because of its high speed and connectivity.
Continue readingMain Factors behind the Global Spread of Diseases
The transmission of communicative diseases has not changed over time since linked to biological and physiological attributes. A disease has a level of virulence, and populations have levels of vulnerability. What has evolved with globalization is their epidemiology; the circumstances related to their spread among populations. The most significant factors
Impacts of Pandemics on Supply Chains (new page)
Trying to articulate the complex ramifications of different types of shocks on supply chains.
Continue readingImpacts of Pandemics on Supply Chains
Source: Adapted from Notteboom, T., A. Pallis and J-P Rodrigue (2021) “Disruptions and Resilience in Global Container Shipping and Ports: The COVID-19 Pandemic vs the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis”, Maritime Economics and Logistics, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41278-020-00180-5. Supply chains can be very complex and composed of a series of stages, from the provision of
The Development of Polar Air Routes
The advantage of the North Pole as a shortcut is evident, but technical and geopolitical issues prevented the full usage of polar routes for commercial transportation until the 1990s. The airspace of Eastern Bloc countries such as the Soviet Union and China was restricted, forcing airlines to take longer routes