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The mutual constraints of states and global value chains during COVID-19: The case of personal protective equipment

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  • Dallas, Mark P.
  • Horner, Rory
  • Li, Lantian

Abstract

Shortages of critical medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic have turned global value chains (GVCs) in personal protective equipment (PPE) into a political lightning rod. Some blame excessive outsourcing and foreign dependency for causing shortages, thus urging greater state intervention; others applaud GVCs for their flexibility and scaling up of production, while blaming states for undermining GVC operations. Using policy process-tracing and monthly trade data of seven PPE products across the US, Europe, China and Malaysia, this paper goes beyond the binary debate of either the ‘failure’ or ‘success’ of GVCs to show when and under what conditions states interacted with GVCs to produce mixed outcomes in provisioning countries with PPEs. We identify interactions between the type of state intervention and two key structural features of GVCs – geographic distribution of production and technological attributes of the product. Conceptually, the paper demonstrates the mutual constraints of states and GVCs, and highlights structural factors involved in the relationship. Looking to the future of GVCs, we caution against wholesale declarations that GVCs should be abandoned or maintained, instead concluding that paying attention to GVC structure, states and their interactions are crucial.

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  • Dallas, Mark P. & Horner, Rory & Li, Lantian, 2021. "The mutual constraints of states and global value chains during COVID-19: The case of personal protective equipment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:139:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x20304514
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105324
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Awokuse, Titus & Lim, Sunghun & Santeramo, Fabio & Steinbach, Sandro, 2024. "Robust policy frameworks for strengthening the resilience and sustainability of agri-food global value chains," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Carolin Hulke & Linus Kalvelage & Jim Kairu & Javier Revilla Diez & Lucas Rutina, 2022. "Navigating through the storm: conservancies as local institutions for regional resilience in Zambezi, Namibia [From domestic to regional to global: Factory Africa and factory Latin America?: Chapter 3]," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 15(2), pages 305-322.
    4. Anna Corinna Cagliano & Antonio Carlin & Carlo Rafele & Chiara Campanale, 2025. "How COVID-19 Affected the Italian Personal Protective Equipment Supply Chain: An Empirical Analysis," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Frank Siedlok & Natasha Hamilton‐Hart & Hsiao‐Chen Shen, 2022. "Taiwan's COVID‐19 Response: The Interdependence of State and Private Sector Institutions," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(1), pages 190-216, January.
    6. Yuping Deng & Yanrui Wu & Helian Xu, 2022. "Emission Reduction and Value-added Export Nexus at Firm Level," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 22-19, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    7. Hermógenes Fernández-Marín & Gaspar Bruner-Montero & Ana Portugal-Loayza & Virginia Miranda & Alcibiades Elias Villarreal Dominguez & Eduardo Ortega-Barría & Virginia Núñez-Samudio & Iván Landires & L, 2021. "Dynamics of Mask Use as a Prevention Strategy against SARS-CoV-2 in Panama," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Reiner, Christian & Grumiller, Jan & Grohs, Hannes, 2022. "Lieferengpässe in Österreich? Globale Warenketten von Medizinprodukten während der COVID-19 Pandemie," Working Papers 69, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    9. Sheri M Markose & Semanur Soyyiğit, 2024. "EU27 regional trade networks for medical products in fight against Covid-19 pandemic: Quantifying vulnerability and self sufficiency in critical inputs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(2), pages 1-30, February.
    10. Hess Martin & Horner Rory, 2024. "Driving Change in Troubling Times: Security, Risk and the State in Global Production Networks," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 68(3-4), pages 145-150.
    11. Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti & Ari Van Assche, 2021. "Making sense of global value chain-oriented policies: The trifecta of tasks, linkages, and firms," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(3), pages 327-346, September.

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