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Supply Chain Resilience: Should Policy Promote Diversification or Reshoring?

Author

Listed:
  • Gene M. Grossman

    (Princeton University)

  • Elhanan Helpman

    (Harvard University)

  • Hugo Lhuillier

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

Supply chain disruptions, which have become commonplace, are often associated with globalization and trade. Little is known about optimal policy in the face of insecure supply chains. Should governments promote resilience by subsidizing backup sources of input supply? Should they encourage firms to source from closer and presumably safer domestic suppliers? We address these questions in a very simple model of production with a single critical input and with exogenous risks of relationship-specific and country-wide supply disturbances. We follow Matsuyama and Ushchev (2020) in positing a class of preferences that are homothetic with a single aggregator and that obey Marshall’s Second Law of Demand. The familiar case of CES preferences is a member of the class, but it imposes restrictions that are important for policy conclusions. We find that, in the CES case, a subsidy for diversification achieves the constrained social optimum and dominates a policy that promotes reshoring or offshoring. When the demand elasticity rises with price, two policy instruments generally are needed to achieve efficient supply chains, private investments in resilience may be socially excessive, and policy that alter incentives to invest at home versus abroad may achieve greater welfare than ones that encourage or discourage diversification.

Suggested Citation

  • Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman & Hugo Lhuillier, 2021. "Supply Chain Resilience: Should Policy Promote Diversification or Reshoring?," Working Papers 2021-8, Princeton University. Economics Department..
  • Handle: RePEc:pri:econom:2021-8
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    File URL: https://www.princeton.edu/~grossman/Resilient_Supply_Chains_092721.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Richard Baldwin & Rebecca Freeman & Angelos Theodorakopoulos, 2023. "Hidden Exposure: Measuring US Supply Chain Reliance," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 54(2 (Fall)), pages 79-167.
    2. Matsuyama, Kiminori & Ushchev, Philip, 2022. "Destabilizing effects of market size in the dynamics of innovation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Beata Javorcik & Lucas Kitzmüller & Helena Schweiger & Muhammed A. Yıldırım, 2024. "Economic costs of friendshoring," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(7), pages 2871-2908, July.
    4. Raphael Lafrogne-Joussier & Julien Martin & Isabelle Mejean, 2023. "Supply Shocks in Supply Chains: Evidence from the Early Lockdown in China," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 71(1), pages 170-215, March.
    5. Bublu Thakur-Weigold & Sébastien Miroudot, 2024. "Supply chain myths in the resilience and deglobalization narrative: consequences for policy," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 99-111, March.
    6. Steven Brakman & Charles van Marrewijk, 2022. "Tasks, occupations and slowbalisation: on the limits of fragmentation [Global value chains]," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 15(2), pages 407-436.
    7. Woldt, Jason & Godfrey, Michael, 2022. "Is there a home field advantage? The impact of shareholder wealth from U.S. manufacturing location decisions: A comparative analysis," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    8. Byrne, Shane & Devine, Kenneth & King, Michael & McCarthy, Yvonne & Palmer, Christopher, 2023. "The Last Mile of Monetary Policy: Inattention, Reminders, and the Refinancing Channel," Research Technical Papers 6/RT/23, Central Bank of Ireland.
    9. Matsuyama, Kiminori & Ushchev, Philip, 2022. "Selection and Sorting of Heterogeneous Firms through Competitive Pressures," CEPR Discussion Papers 17092, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Daragh Clancy & Donal Smith & Vilém Valenta, 2024. "The Macroeconomic Effects of Global Supply Chain Reorientation," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 20(2), pages 151-191, April.
    11. Thomas Gehrig & Rune Stenbacka, 2023. "Dual Sourcing and Resilient Supply Chains: The Case of Essential Resources," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 51(4), pages 223-241, December.
    12. Cajal-Grossi, Julia & Del Prete, Davide & Macchiavello, Rocco, 2023. "Supply chain disruptions and sourcing strategies," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    13. Sergio Mariotti, 2022. "A warning from the Russian–Ukrainian war: avoiding a future that rhymes with the past," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 49(4), pages 761-782, December.
    14. Ribašauskienė, Erika & Volkov, Artiom & Morkūnas, Mangirdas & Žičkienė, Agnė & Dabkiene, Vida & Štreimikienė, Dalia & Baležentis, Tomas, 2024. "Strategies for increasing agricultural viability, resilience and sustainability amid disruptive events: An expert-based analysis of relevance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    global supply chains; global value chains; input sourcing; resilience;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation

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