Why the world’s economic glue is becoming unstuck

Global economic stability rests on a fragile, often invisible, network of just-in-time supply chains increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical volatility. Ed Conway, author of *Trade World*, argues that modern nations have prioritized low-cost consumer goods over domestic industrial resilience, creating dangerous dependencies on foreign manufacturing and critical resources. From the complex, multi-continental logistics of everyday items like fish fingers to the strategic necessity of Taiwanese semiconductors, the global economy faces significant risks as trade routes through choke points like the Strait of Hormuz become flashpoints for conflict. While the pursuit of cheap goods has historically driven disinflation, current international tensions necessitate a shift toward re-industrialization and strategic security. Ignoring these physical underpinnings of trade leaves nations exposed to severe economic shocks as the globalized system struggles to adapt to a more unstable, bellicose world.