The novel coronavirus is laying bare a central problem for the global manufacturing industry: China’s shadow has grown so long that even industries that have shifted production beyond the country can’t wriggle free of its grip on supply networks.
A year and a half ago, a lingerie manufacturer set up a factory in eastern Bangladesh as part of a push to move production away from China due to rising labor costs and higher tariffs from the trade fight with the U.S. At the plant, 16 experienced Chinese supervisors usually oversee…
