While growth in the trade of
goods and commodities has
flattened, the value and volume
of digital trade crossing borders
continues to grow, according
to the McKinsey Global
Institute (MGI) report: “Digital
globalisation: The new era of
global flows”.
And if James Pethokoukis,
a columnist and blogger at the
American Enterprise Institute
is right, then the shipping
world will not see the growth
it experienced before the 2008
melt-down for a long time to
come.
“Many companies are
reconsidering the risks and
complexity of managing long
supply chains.
“As a result, more production
is occurring in countries where
goods are consumed. Looking
forward, 3-D technology could
further erode international
trade as some goods are printed
at their point of consumption,”
he writes.
“Already there are some
companies and organisations
using 3-D printing, for
example, to print replacement
parts for operations around
the world rather than
manufacturing goods in
one place and shipping the
replacement parts,” said Susan
Lund, one of the authors of the
McKinsey study, in a podcast.
Digital trade 'exploding'
Comments | 0
