CANCUN, Q. ROO.– Supply chains face increasing pressures stemming from a combination of factors, including geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather events, technological transformations, and changes in global supply dynamics.
When discussing “Resilient supply chain: logistics in international trade and strategies in the face of global disruptions” , specialists agreed that resilience has ceased to be an option and has become an indispensable condition for the permanence and competitiveness of companies.
Within the framework of the National Freight Transport Forum , organized by the National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , Guadalupe Isla, head of the Human Resources Department of Fábrica de Jabón La Corona , emphasized that logistics has had to move from rigid efficiency to competitive flexibility that is part of its strategy with tangible results.
In this context, human capital remains the decisive element in any crisis. Although artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics systems generate vast amounts of information, strategic decisions still depend on people.
Business continuity
When analyzing supply chain risks, one of the main challenges for companies is business interruption, not only due to direct impacts , but also due to problems that strategic suppliers may suffer and that end up impacting the entire value chain.
Climate change is another factor that has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of natural phenomena, a situation that must be associated with risk, “raising insurance costs and causing disruptions to distribution centers, roads and logistics networks ,” said Astrid Karam, vice president of Marsh .
Steffania Sánchez, professor of Foreign Trade Law at the Faculty of Law of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) , echoed this sentiment, highlighting that droughts, ocean acidification, and resource scarcity affect logistics. A recent example was the reduction in operations at the Panama Canal due to water shortages, a situation that caused significant delays for international trade .
Another element analyzed within risk management was the global economic fragmentation and the growth of risks associated with multimodal transport, which constantly faces responsibilities in the face of theft, damage or incidents occurring in different segments of the journey.
Therefore, Karam considered that comprehensive risk maps should be created that involve areas such as logistics, finance, operations, purchasing, sales and insurance , in order to strengthen business continuity.
Overcoming threats
When reviewing the geopolitical issues that can affect supply chains, the first factor is the trade rivalry between the United States and China , which has created a new scenario in which governments and companies must rethink their supply, manufacturing and export networks.
A second point that was identified was the effect of international conflicts and their impact on strategic routes, such as the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz or the problems recorded in the Suez Canal , which have demonstrated how a localized event can affect world trade, raise logistics costs and disrupt entire supply chains, emphasized Steffania Sánchez.
Like Astrid Karam, Sánchez emphasized the role of climate change, including droughts, ocean acidification, and resource scarcity.
From an operational standpoint, supply chains prioritized minimal inventory, few suppliers, and high levels of cost optimization. “However, recent global events have highlighted the limitations of that model ,” explained Luis Hernández, president of the Mexican Intermodal Transportation Association (AMTI) .
Given this reality, resilience now requires diversifying suppliers, expanding capabilities, generating strategic inventories, strengthening nearshoring schemes , improving end-to-end visibility, and having logistical alternatives that allow responding to unexpected disruptions.
“Business continuity is more important than absolute efficiency,” the president of AMTI stated.
Global best practices
Francisco Kim Olguín, vice president of the ANTP, described that, as a strategy to learn about the best global practices in logistics, they have been attending the OECD International Transport Forum , held in Leipzig, Germany, for years, and that this year resilience was one of the central topics of discussion among governments, specialists and business leaders.
“The main lesson was that resilience should no longer be seen as an additional expense, but as a strategic investment. According to estimates shared at the forum, the cost of preventing risks through resilience measures is significantly lower than the cost of repairing damage once a disruption occurs,” shared Kim Olguín.
In agreement with the other panelists, they sent a message to the Forum participants to warn about the trends of deglobalization, which are generated by trade tensions between major powers and the possible regulatory changes derived from the review of trade agreements, factors that force Mexican companies to strengthen their planning and review aspects such as rules of origin and regional content in their exports .
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Didier Ramírez Torres / @GrupoT21
