The World Comes to a Tiny Town: Eastport’s Lesson in Globalization

Eastport, Maine – an aging town once known for its canned sardines – is a small-scale example of the globalization uniting all corners of the world. Eastport with its deepwater port reshapes its economy to remain relevant, but still confronts challenges that a generation ago may have mattered little to its residents. Three examples highlight Eastport’s global connections: EU regulations on renewable biomass increased demand for wood pellets from Maine’s forests, but fracking has since battered energy prices. The town ships the pulp used to make high-quality paper that will be purchased in China. And Eastport is an “east coast shipping center for pregnant cows.” Turkey, in particular, demands that resource, so the war in neighboring Syria has led to fewer orders. Eastport, by following and responding to global trends in this modern economy, has largely rebounded since the sardine industry’s decline. Eastport may be “at the whims of global trends and upheavals” but the head of the town’s port authority is optimistic, keeping up with current events and searching for opportunities. – YaleGlobal