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.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240113_FNP002.jpg)
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.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Bottle job”
Finance & economics January 13th 2024
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