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Chinese workers load a van with parcels, most of which are from online shopping, at a distribution center in Shanghai.
Hard Numbers: Global packaging boom, livestreamed peaches, the art of 1s and 0s, e-commerce’s share of the pie
63.6: All those e-commerce goods have to be shipped in something, right? The global market for envelopes, tubes, mailers, and other protective packaging is projected to hit $63.6 billion this year, nearly double where it stood in 2019.
70: A peach farmer in Beijing’s farm-rich Pinggu district was able to sell 70kg (155 pounds) of the fruits every day during this year’s harvest season, thanks to livestreaming her work and selling online. Back in 2017, the local government launched a massive initiative to bring local farmers onto e-commerce platforms.
20: Online sales in 2021 accounted for 20% of the global $65 billion art market. That’s twice the share of 2019, before the pandemic gave a boost to e-commerce in art.
14.5: E-commerce accounted for 14.5% of all retail sales in the US in the second quarter of this year, according to the US Fed. That’s up 3 points since the eve of the pandemic and is a full 10 times higher than it was two decades ago.The Graphic Truth: The great supply chain squeeze
The pandemic sent global supply chains into a tizzy. Then, just as economies were embarking on their post-COVID economic recoveries, Russia invaded Ukraine, upending the global grain trade and sending supply chains spiraling further. Supply chain frictions have a lot of unintended consequences: Brexit-related supply chain issues made it hard for some Brits to get their hands on a pint of beer, while China’s punitive zero-COVID policy drove the auto industry – among others – into a full-blown crisis. We take a look at the Global Supply Chain Index from 2000-2022 along with key global economic milestones.
The shipping container shortage that’s wreaking havoc on the global supply chain
Spare a thought for the poor shipping container, responsible for most of the world's trade. It's had a rough year that started with the gargantuan Ever Given getting stuck in the Suez Canal.
Now the Suez traffic jam has gone global.
When the pandemic started, everyone needed COVID supplies from China. Chinese factories couldn't keep up with soaring demand from Western nations, and empty containers started to pile up in faraway ports.
Sending one of these ships from Shanghai to Los Angeles has jumped more than ten-fold from $2,000 to $25,000.
And as demand increases even more, the problem is getting worse — a vicious cycle with no end in sight just as the holidays approach.
Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: Inflation nation: What's driving US prices higher?
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