{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.013742071881606765, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.271523178807947, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Supply contracts for critical and strategic materials of high volatility and their ramifications for supply chains

Abstract For critical and strategic materials such as a rare earth element or crude oil, we study a supply chain consisting of an intermediary/producer facing a highly volatile market to its customers and a local supplier at a different region subject to a fixed term supply contract. By viewing the opportunity to sign this contract as a real option, we construct a supply contract model and analytically derive the optimal contract-signing threshold price from the intermediary/producer perspective. Based on this threshold, we show how the relationship among the threshold price, lead time, and contract duration results in a classification of the supply chain’s preferences for lead time length, and to concrete guidelines for using the lead time and contract duration as tradable negotiation tools for supply chain contracts.