FT Trade Secrets

What toilet paper shortages tell us about supply chains

FT Trade Secrets writer Aime Williams goes on a mission to find toilet roll. The coronavirus outbreak has emptied supermarket shelves. But why can't manufacturers just divert the unused office paper?


FT Trade Secrets is a video channel exploring the changing face of international trade and globalisation at a critical time - with the global system under threat, continued US-China trade tensions, and the UK’s divorce from the EU. The channel alternates between independent reporting from FT journalists and expert commentary from financial markets data provider Refinitiv.

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FT Channels, a partnership destination that combines impactful and enriching multimedia content to spark curiosity and encourage discovery. Each vertical brings expert insights from the Financial Times and our Partners into the most pressing issues of our time.

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FT Trade Secrets

FT Channels, a partnership destination that combines impactful and enriching multimedia content to spark curiosity and encourage discovery. Each vertical brings expert insights from the Financial Times and our Partners into the most pressing issues of our time.


FT Trade Secrets is a video channel exploring the changing face of international trade and globalisation at a critical time - with the global system under threat, continued US-China trade tensions, and the UK’s divorce from the EU. The channel alternates between independent reporting from FT journalists and expert commentary from financial markets data provider Refinitiv.