The hidden supply chain costs of the AI boom

My guest today is Willy Shih, an economist, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, and the author of the upcoming book, Where Does My Stuff Come From? The Powerful Economics Behind Global Supply Chains.

Willy’s new book is all about the economics underlying global trade, which our politicians and regulators seem to insistently ignore. So we got into Trump’s tariffs, why the markets have reacted to supply chain disruptions the way they have, and why China remains a global manufacturing powerhouse even though every other country thinks that’s so risky.

Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.

Links:

Where Does My Stuff Come From? | Willy Shih

RAM price hikes: the latest on the global memory shortage | The Verge

Tariffs didn’t bring manufacturing jobs back to the US | Decoder

Trump tariffs mean chaos for consumers | Harvard Crimson

Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5 | Decoder (2021)

Inside Foxconn’s empty buildings, empty factories, and empty promises | The Verge (2020)

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Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder is produced by Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Eileen Felix. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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