How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting global supply chains, logistics, and transportation?

Abstract

This editorial establishes the broader context for debating how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the global supply chains, logistics, and transportation networks in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unknown-unknown risk whereby the probability of its occurrence and the possible consequences of a risk event cannot be foreseen. Furthermore, the characteristics of COVID-19 differentiate it from previous disasters in terms of the geographic scope of the impact, and the supply- and demand-side impacts, and are making relevant research challenging. In this special issue, the interwoven relationships between the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges facing global supply chains, logistics, and transportation are discussed, along with a literature review. Selected papers on air transportation networks, emergency logistics, and digital trade are theoretically and empirically probed.