How does a ship kill global trade?

Over 200,000 tonnes. 400 metres long. A modern feat of engineering.

Also the thing that’s causing havoc in global trade.

A massive container ship has blocked the Suez Canal. How does a ship block one of the most important trade routes you ask?

Well, who knows (yet) but it’s going to cost a lot of companies a lot of money. It’s also not going to help industries reliant on that pathway to keep economies ticking over.

There’s already an impact to oil prices, an impact on moving crucial technologies across the world, and there will be ramifications for companies stuck in the traffic jam with nowhere to go.

The longer it lasts, the bigger the question of just how significant an impact on the markets this is going to have.

But perhaps the bigger question is, what happens if this happens again, or worse?

We’re a high tech, connected world, but we’re still very reliant on “analogue” systems to keep our world functioning. For all the “smart” devices in the world, a 400m ship can still get stuck in a giant canal – what does that say about the vulnerabilities we face every day but don’t give enough consideration to?

We explore what this event really means, how it shapes the market and what our future looks like if these sorts of things happen again.

You’ll find today’s Exponential Investor podcast below.

Regards,

Sam Volkering and Kit Winder
Exponential Investor