Restructuring of Global Supply Chains in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the US-China Trade War

Abstract

The US-China trade war started in mid-2018. As trade tensions between the US and China began to rise, imposed bilateral tariffs on Chinese goods forced affected companies to restructure supply chain operations. And, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused severe supply chain disruptions with rippling effects for the global economy, discussions in the press continued to question the heavy dependence on China. This thesis investigates whether the COVID-19 pandemic presents a tipping point concerning the restructuring of global supply chains from China to other countries.