What does a shipping container have to do with the global economy? Almost everything. In this episode, we sit down with economist and historian Marc Levinson to explore how a simple metal box revolutionized the way goods move across the world—and, by extension, how supply chains are organized, where manufacturing happens, and even which communities thrive or struggle. Marc walks us through the unlikely origins of containerization, from Malcolm McLean's 1956 voyage to the painstaking international negotiations that created industry standards. We discuss how containers made globalization possible by collapsing transportation costs from 15–20% of goods' value to mere cents, the profound impact on dock workers and manufacturing communities, and why today's supply chain disruptions are forcing businesses to rethink the just-in-time model. Along the way, Marc reminds us that the most transformative changes in how we do business often come from the most unexpected places—and that understanding this history is essential to navigating our present.
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