“Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for Tariffs and Supply Chains: Pathways to Resilient Economic Planning”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for Tariffs and Supply Chains: Pathways to Resilient Economic Planning”

Journal: Socio-Economic Planning Sciences
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission deadline: 30 September 2026

Overview

This special issue explores the innovative application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to address the complexities of modern tariff design and global supply chain management. Amidst trends of "slowbalization" and de-globalization, policymakers face the challenge of balancing economic competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and sustainability. This issue invites research demonstrating how MCDA can provide a rigorous, bias-aware framework for evaluating trade-offs in these volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments.

Key Research Themes

The guest editors seek methodological advancements and empirical applications covering:

• Tariff Strategy & Resilience: Balancing supply chain resilience with trade efficiency through structured decision-support frameworks.

• Sectoral Analysis: Applications in critical supply chains such as energy, healthcare, and technology.

• Strategic Policy Evaluation: Using MCDA to model and evaluate reshoring, nearshoring, and friendshoring initiatives.

• Behavioral Decision-Making: Mitigating cognitive biases in strategic trade policy through behavioral MCDA approaches.

• Stakeholder Integration: Participatory MCDA models that integrate the preferences of governments, firms, and consumers.

• Trade-offs: Evaluating the environmental and social impacts of protectionist measures versus global cooperation.

Submission Details

• Submission window: 30 June 2026 – 30 September 2026.

• Submission portal: Socio-Economic Planning Sciences Editorial Manager:
  https://www.editorialmanager.com/SEPS/default.aspx

• Article Type: Select “VSI: MCDA for Tariffs and Supply Chains” from the dropdown menu.

Guest Editors

Siamak Kheybari, Amin Vafadarnikjoo, Abbi M. Kedir

Why This Issue Matters

Traditional economic models often fail to capture the multi-dimensional nature of tariff policy in the current geopolitical landscape. By applying MCDA, this issue provides a path for decision-makers to navigate conflicting objectives—such as national security versus market openness—leading to more transparent, equitable, and resilient economic planning.

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