US-China Trade and Transportation Infrastructure Challenges: A Strategic Primer for Policymakers, Business Leaders and Academicians

Abstract

This article addresses some of the major current transportation and supply chain challenges between the US and China, and how western stakeholders can more effectively understand and engage their Chinese counterparts in this challenging environment. The article begins by discussing the increase in joint US-China trade over the years and some of the strains this has placed on US-China supply chains and transportation infrastructures (seaports, roads, trucking, rail, air, and inland waterways). The paper concludes with several recommendations for how US and western firms, managers, policymakers and academicians might proceed in this environment, including a discussion of several cultural differences between the US and China that can impact supply chain behavior and the decisions of Chinese firms and trading partners.

Keywords: International trade, US, China, transportation, supply chain, logistics, seaports, roads, trucking, rail, air, inland waterways, culture, joint ventures, lobbying, open book accounts, credit risk