Abstract:

The crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and its asymmetrical course, variable in time and intensity, different methods and forms of response to crisis-related phenomena as well as their effects, have triggered a number of negative consequences in the global economy. They covered all links in the global supply chains, leading to significant and extensive disruptions in their operations. These disruptions hit particularly hard the key link, i.e., maritime transport, in the area of maritime shipping, mainly container shipping, and in seaports, especially the container terminals.  This study attempts to determine not only the causes, but also the types and effects of disruptions in the global supply chains and to indicate the extent of these disruptions in the maritime sector handling the bulk of the global trade in goods. The main issue and also the research objective is to assess the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the global supply chains operations and to determine to what extent the disruptions that occurred during their operations disorganized the world trade maritime transport. In this context, the author attempts to answer the question: 1/ whether, in the current visible recovery in the global economy, maritime transport, which has been severely affected by the effects of the pandemic and the crisis in the three quarters of 2020, is one of the main reasons for the continuous disruptions in the supply chains, 2/ or the reasons for their current inefficiency can be found in other links, accumulating only in the maritime transport and cargo handling sectors.  The analysis of this working hypothesis was conducted based on the analysis of available current reports and publications of the science and research centres and international organizations, as well as industry associations, prepared based on the surveys conducted. Moreover, the analysis referred to a number of interviews conducted by the author with the representatives of shipowners, international forwarders and container terminal managers, as well as shippers between 2020 and 2021.  The obtained research results make it possible to adopt the formulated working hypothesis. The results indicate that:  1/ maritime transport, in particular container shipping and port container terminals, are particularly vulnerable and not very resistant to any disruptions in the global supply chains, 2/ the accumulation of disruptions in this link with the disruptions in other segments of the supply chains leads to transferring the first ones onto the other, slowing down the rate of development of the world trade and economic growth, 3/ it is necessary to change quickly the current model of supply chain operations and management which consists in transforming the currently dominant, simple supply chains into smart, circular economy supply chains.