Navigate the Global Supply Chain Shifts with Confidence and Clarity
From toymakers to apparel and footwear manufacturing, industries are preparing for the Trump tariff tsunami.
Despite dramatic headlines from NPR, Yahoo Finance and other news outlets, all is not lost. Tariffs can be good, bad and risky. Astute company executives and supply chain pros can navigate the risks. Not only can they avoid the bad, they can achieve more than good. They can take advantage of the greatest supply chain opportunities of all time.
As I explained in my last blog, President-elect Donald Trump’s favorite word, tariffs, will ripple through global supply chains. Unlike the decadeslong move to China, industries must accelerate their optionality in the era of ReGlobalization. Tariffs are coming for goods produced in China. For the rest of the world, particularly countries aligned with the U.S., I think Trump tariffs are a negotiating tool. Trump is using his “Art of the Deal” expertise to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.
My 50 years in supply chain tell me that a combination of six strategies could help executives uncertain about where to turn. Resilience and adaptability are critical. This week’s white paper, “ReGlobalization: Redefining Global Supply Chains,” details how companies can ride this wave of disruption and emerge stronger.
What Is ReGlobalization?
ReGlobalization is the evolution of globalization in response to the complexities of today’s disrupted world. ReGlobalization doesn’t mean retreating from interconnected economies; instead, it balances regionalization with global integration.
It prioritizes building supply chain resilience by diversifying manufacturing bases. You must shift from single-source dependencies to nearshoring, reshoring and friendshoring.
This approach also aligns with shifting geopolitical realities, environmental goals and consumer demands for ethical sourcing. ReGlobalization encourages companies to add optionality to their end-to-end supply chains, building flexibility to adapt to ongoing disruptions.
By embracing advanced technologies and forming regional partnerships, businesses can mitigate risks, enhance agility and maintain competitiveness.
ReGlobalization is not a destination but an ongoing journey, requiring continuous adaptation to navigate the evolving global landscape and ensure profitability, sustainability and growth.
ReGlobalization is the strategic response to the new normal of perpetual disruption.
1. Diversifying Suppliers through Strategic Alliances
Relying on single suppliers is no longer practical in a world of geopolitical tensions and trade wars. ReGlobalization encourages companies to diversify their supplier base by adopting optionality.
As explained in the white paper, identifying trade partners across multiple regions mitigates risks from disruptions in one area. Particularly if, like the toy industry, you still rely heavily on imports from China. By itself, this creates a more agile supply chain.
Forming alliances with additional suppliers and logistics providers creates shared opportunities for growth. Partnerships often involve co-investments in infrastructure and digital technology, ensuring both parties can weather disruptions together. (More on digital technology down below.)
2. Searching for Shores, Friendly and Near …
Shifting production closer to home reduces transportation costs, lead times and reliance on unpredictable trade routes.
For a year, Houthi rebel attacks have forced a lot of shipping to avoid the Suez Canal. Per The New York Times, 136 container ships each week travel around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. That compares to 40 a week before the attacks. Suez Canal passages have declined 70%.
Shipping a container from Asia to Northern Europe now costs 270% more than a year ago. Shipping a container from China to the U.S. West Coast is up 217%.
The white paper includes examples of how nearshoring to Mexico or reshoring within the U.S. boosts supply chain resilience.
Tompkins Ventures has numerous examples of companies adding alternatives to China. Some have added or moved manufacturing to Brazil or Mexico. Chancy, Peru, or Sao Paulo, Brazil can serve as logistics hubs to the U.S. Meanwhile, Mexican manufacturers can ship to the U.S. via truck.
For reshoring (also known as onshoring), federal or local incentives can help. The U.S. government, for one, has poured tax money into the semiconductor industry.
And building partnerships in regions more aligned with your own, aka friendshoring, also mitigates risks. As “ReGlobalization: Redefining Global Supply Chains” notes, many ASEAN countries have strong ties to the United States. They can also ship directly across the Pacific to the West Coast of North or South America. No need to avoid the Houthi attacks that are driving cargo ships away from the Suez Canal.
Like in regular globalization, ReGlobalization will involve trade deals that span the globe.
3. Invest in Advanced Technology
Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing are essential for navigating the complexity of ReGlobalized supply chains.
These tools provide real-time data, enabling businesses to monitor disruptions and pivot strategies instantly. For example, AI-driven scenario modeling can help executives make informed decisions about sourcing and logistics.
Such scenario modeling helps with scenario planning and risk management, which can help you plan proactively for future disruptions. As the white paper emphasizes, you must model multiple supply chain scenarios, from tariff increases to geopolitical disruptions.
Regular risk assessments and contingency plans help companies stay ahead of potential crises.
4. Build Strategic Inventory Buffers
While lean inventories are efficient, maintaining higher safety stocks might be essential.
Industries must weigh the cost of tying up capital against the potential for supply chain interruptions. For businesses in critical sectors, this buffer can mean the difference between continuity and collapse.
Still, notice how I wrote “might be essential.” This tool is my least favorite. Adding optionality, where you have multiple manufacturing and logistics sources, is a much better option. But, being a realist, I understand that few companies can pivot overnight, particularly during the holidays.
So, an inventory increase of Chinese goods might be advisable in the short term. Especially if you can do it before Trump’s tariffs hit. (I know, that’s a tight window.) But with the right strategies, that added inventory becomes needless in the long term. In fact, those heavy capital costs could easily weigh down your economic growth in the long run.
5. Enhance Supply Chain Transparency
For millennia, lighthouses guided ships away from danger. Today’s version is lighthouse digital technology, powered by digital supply chain networks.
These networks provide a far more powerful and dynamic form of guidance. AI, machine learning and cloud computing monitor, report and coordinate the flow of goods. Working properly, networks can optimize processes such as port arrivals, container management and transshipment across vast global logistics systems.
This gives your operations transparency across every stage of the supply chain and is critical for identifying risks early. Track shipments and monitor production in real time. Greater visibility and actionability foster accountability and resilience.
In addition, Tompkins Ventures has customs partners who can ensure compliance with tariffs or other regulatory changes.
Transparency and compliance are critical must haves for surfing these perpetual waves of disruption. They can go a long way toward helping you pivot quickly.
That could mean switching suppliers or ramping up or dampening down production to meet changing customer demands.
6. Automate Operations
Automation reduces dependency on human labor, a vulnerability during global disruptions. Automated systems enhance efficiency and provide a safety net during labor shortages or geopolitical conflicts. By streamlining operations, businesses can remain competitive while reducing costs.
Automation is critical to any reshoring/onshoring initiative. “ReGlobalization: Redefining Global Supply Chains” has a great example from Bath and Body Works. The company used automation to successfully reshore manufacturing, slashing lead times while keeping costs low.
Prepare to Ride the Trump Tariff Wave
ReGlobalization marks the greatest supply chain shift since the rise of China. Disruptions are unavoidable. But with the right strategies, Trump’s tariff plans and negotiating tactics offer the greatest supply chain opportunity in years. Our profession has the expertise to navigate the era of ReGlobalization, turning all challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.
Time is of the essence. Connect now, and let’s prepare for the future – together.
Related Reading
- ReGlobalization: Supply Chains in a Trump Disrupted World
- Why Dynamic Optionality Rules the Future
- ReGlobalization – Redefining Global Supply Chains
Jim Tompkins, Chairman of Tompkins Ventures, is an international authority on designing and implementing end-to-end supply chains. Over five decades, he has designed countless industrial facilities and supply chain solutions, enhancing the growth of numerous companies. He previously built Tompkins International from a backyard startup into an international consulting and implementation firm. Jim earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
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