The COVID-19 pandemic threw global supply chains into disarray, decimating foreign direct investment and generating uncertainty unlike anything since World War II. It is unclear what global production, trade and investment will look like after the pandemic, but it is almost certain that they will look differently than in the pre-pandemic world. Terms like ‘reshoring’, ‘back-shoring’, ‘near-shoring’ and ‘onshoring’ are on the rise, both in media and academia, reflecting the current trend among multinational companies, of reconsidering their supply chains. The disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have made companies think about increasing the resilience of their production through supply diversification, shorter supply chains, geographically closer locations, more production at home and increased inventories. This study aims to analyse whether and how the Western Balkan economies could benefit from these trends after the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores whether and how the Western Balkan economies could benefit from this phenomenon. It discusses recent trends in global supply chains, international trade and foreign investment and presents key determinants of foreign direct investment. It furthermore provides a set of surveys, interviews and case studies of foreign and local companies, as well as investment promotion agencies, from the Western Balkans.

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