Finance & economics | Bottle job

Will spiking shipping costs cause inflation to surge?

Disruption in the Suez and Panama canals is prompting concern

Cargo ships wait in the anchor zone to cross the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean.
Image: Getty Images

When economists talk about bottlenecks, they typically refer to points in a supply chain that slow down production. The global economy is at present providing a rather literal example of the metaphor. It is as if someone has put a cork in the Suez and Panama canals.

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Bottle job”

From the January 13th 2024 edition

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