Conversations That Matter

Ep 473 - The Looming Great Relocation Guest: Laura Alfaro By Stuart McNish   “Nearshoring, friendshoring and onshoring” are terms that are becoming common in reference to moves within the United States to address a number of issues associated with global value chains. According to co-author Laura Alfaro of a paper that was prepared for the Jackson Hole Symposium in 2023, there is a, “Looming Great Relocation” on the horizon.   Alfaro says, “The evidence is clear – the US reliance on China peaked in 2017. The introduction of tariffs by President Trump, the continued application of those tariffs by President Biden, and the ongoing power play between the two countries has brought about changes to distribution channels.”    According to Alfaro, “Vietnam and Mexico have and [will] continue to rise in prominence as preferred trading partners. And while Canada has slipped over the past 30 years, it still remains a strong trading partner.”   We invited Laura Alfaro of the Harvard Business School to join us for a Conv