The World Waves Goodbye to the Era of Globalization

Post-pandemic order will be very different as many governments retreat from global economic integration

Chinese shipping containers are stored beside a US flag after they were unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, Calif., on May 14, 2019. MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

WASHINGTON—Globalization, which has shaped the world economic order over the past few decades, was already in trouble before the pandemic. And with the emergence of COVID-19, the retreat from global economic integration has gained momentum, setting in motion a global reordering that’s expected to play out over decades.