The Panama Canal and Greenland are making headlines for a reason. In this Supply Chain Byte, Lisa Anderson breaks down their strategic importance—from moving goods into the U.S. to securing rare earth minerals—and what it means for global supply chains. Here’s why we should care.
Panama Canal
Both sides of the canal – the Atlantic and Pacific – have terminals owned by a Chinese firm. The canal is a strategic waterway – if these terminals are shut down for any reason, it would cause havoc with supply chains.
Greenland
Greenland has an abundant supply of rare earths and other minerals which are used in the manufacture of medical devices, items used for national defense, and also electronics and computer equipment. As manufacturing is reshored, manufacturers want to insure they have a secure source of these minerals for their end-to-end supply chain needs. This makes Greenland a strategic supplier of these minerals.