Sea Pen Books is a new and independent business book publisher. We are forward thinking and versatile, specialising in supply chain, global renewable energy and the offshore maritime sector.
Prof John Manners-Bell BA (Hons) MSc AKC FCILT is Founder and CEO of the Foundation for Future Supply Chain, Chief Executive of Ti, Honorary Visiting Professor at the London Metropolitan University’s Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law and adviser to the World Economic Forum.
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Go to John's website for more information: Welcome | Johnmannersbell
Publication Date 15th May 2023
It wasn’t meant to be this way. China’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001 was supposed to herald a new era of open markets, a culmination of 50 years of trade liberalization resulting in the worldwide adoption of Western economic, societal and political values.
Instead, a global recession, the resurgence of nationalism, fears for the environment, the Covid crisis and growing geo-political tensions have resulted in the re-emergence of trade barriers and toxic international relations.
Neo-protectionism has transformed the economic landscape and supply chains are now being shaped by political rather than commercial imperatives. Fragmented, localized, fractured…globalization, if not completely dead, is on life support.
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In a book for a post-Covid world, John Manners-Bell examines why initial optimism proved so misplaced and what these systemic changes mean for businesses and administrators.
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CONTENTS
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A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING DEGLOBALIZATION
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POLITICAL RISK AND NEW ECONOMIC PROTECTIONISM
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SUBSIDIES AND THEIR ROLE IN SUPPLY CHAIN DISTORTION
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FRIENDS AND ENEMIES: THE RISE OF ALLY SOURCING
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WEAPONIZING HIGH-TECH SUPPLY CHAINS: HUAWEI VS THE WEST
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SECURING THE SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAIN
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THE INFLUENCE OF ENERGY POLICY ON GLOBALIZATION
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CAN THE WEST DE-COUPLE FROM CHINA?
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‘CHINA PLUS’ SOURCING OPTIONS FOR GLOBAL MANUFACTURERS
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THE RE-SHORING/NEAR-SOURCING CONUNDRUM
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THE IMPACT OF GREEN LEGISLATION ON SUPPLY CHAINS
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HOW ETHICS AND POLITICS WILL DETERMINE FUTURE SUPPLY CHAINS
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THE SUPPLY CHAIN COSTS OF ‘DIGITAL DE-COUPLING’
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CONCLUSION
“A masterful overview of pivotal changes in the global economy by one of the world’s leading experts on logistics and supply chains.”
Julian Jessop, Independent Economist
“This book helps re-examine the decisions and drivers around globalization at different time and place and helps establish a foundation for re-assessment and re-engagement. A must read for any global thinker.”
John Rendon, President of the Rendon Group, a Global Strategic Engagement Consultancy
“For decades, trade grew faster than the economy, expenditures on inventory holding declined, and the average distance travelled per ton of seaborne cargo went up. Then came covid, trade wars, and the energy transition. Does this mean the end of globalization?”
Jan Hoffmann Head, Trade Logistics Branch, UNCTAD
“John Manners-Bell's book is top notch. In the West we need to wake up to the stark fact that the Old Order has shifted. China has all the capabilities available to become the premier Global Power and the ramifications of its incursions into Africa and the Indian Ocean Rim, for example, have largely gone unnoticed. We need to be very worried.”
Malcolm Warr OBE, Chair, Critical National Infrastructure, Scotland
“Building upon his deep knowledge and extensive practical experience, the author highlights how political forces, more than economics, are now shaping supply chain structures. Clearly written, forcefully argued, the book vividly illustrates how such forces, combined with ethics and environmental considerations, are driving the profound structural changes we can witness today.”
Anne Miroux, Faculty Fellow at the Emerging Markets Institute, Johnson School of Management at Cornell University
“John Manners-Bell’s latest book The Death of Globalization captures the very essence of current board room discussions around the world. This book explores all the key dynamics influencing re-shoring, near-shoring and friend-shoring decisions - and sets the scene for a gradual de-globalisation trend, with the world moving towards regional supply chains. Essential reading for every business executive and the entire supply chain and logistics fraternity.”
Mark Millar, Keynote Speaker, Trusted Advisor, and Author of Global Supply Chain Ecosystems
“John eloquently argues about the multifaceted influence of economic, political and environmental pressures on modern supply chains. Critically, the book highlights the importance of ethics affecting how stakeholders across the value chain make decisions that shape the (de)globalised world we live in.”
Dr Vaggelis Giannikas, Associate Professor, School of Management, University of Bath.