*  *  *  Electronic commerce and finance are growing rapidly. Media announcements of new payments mechanisms designed to aid electronic commerce have become routine. Some recent predictions look for mobile phones and sophisticated wireless devices eventually to become important tools for conducting electronic commerce and payments.
11  -7the feedback effects between shipping delays and container shortages appear to be only slowly working themselves out. In contrast, the manufacturing capacity taken offline by the harsh weather in Texas in February is coming back online rapidly. If past experience is any guide, production will rise to meet the level of goods demand before too long.