Maritime Trade: After Covid, a New Geopolitics?

Covid-19 triggered a significant contraction of international trade flows, disrupting global value chains and putting maritime logistics and transport under severe stress. Moreover, in 2021, accidents including the Ever Given container ship being stuck in the Suez Canal have raised questions around the long-term sustainability of an hyper-globalized trade system that is based on just-in-time mechanisms. Sea chokepoints have become increasingly important in today’s fragile context, but in parallel to “traditional” maritime routes, new ones are being explored, for instance in the Artic region. What is the relevance of maritime trade in the current context and what about future perspectives? How can investments in technology and infrastructure help ease bottlenecks hampering international shipping? Do geopolitical and trade tensions among China, the United States, and Europe have the potential to influence existing and future trade routes?