Process, Distribution & Logistics Consulting NAICS 541614

Jan 30, 2026 - Supply Chain Trends to Watch in 2026

• Supply Chain Dive highlights five key supply chain trends shaping 2026, centered on persistent uncertainty, cost pressures, and strategic shifts. Geopolitical fragmentation - especially expansive US tariff policies - continues to complicate global trade, prompting firms to diversify and regionalize sourcing, and logistics networks. Economic softness and rising costs are driving intense cost-optimization efforts across manufacturing, distribution, and transportation. After heavy AI investment with mixed short-term returns, companies are recalibrating expectations while scaling technology for planning and forecasting. Workforce challenges - from labor shortages to skills gaps tied to automation and analytics - pose strategic constraints alongside tech deployment. These forces collectively underscore a supply chain environment where visibility, agility, and diversified risk management are critical for logistics strategy and network design.
• The US oil and gas industry is feeling the ripple effects of tariffs in ways that go beyond price tags, particularly in logistics and distribution. While crude oil and refined products aren’t directly hit, tariffs on steel, aluminum, and critical components are driving up costs for pipelines, drilling rigs, processing facilities, and other infrastructure. These higher material costs are slowing project timelines, especially in offshore and midstream operations, where steel and specialized equipment are essential. Supply chains are under strain as vital parts become more expensive or harder to source. Companies are responding by renegotiating contracts, delaying new investments, or reshuffling logistics strategies. Transportation and distribution networks are also affected, as rising costs cascade through shipping and storage. Tariffs are forcing the industry to rethink everything from procurement to project execution due to added uncertainty and complexity to already delicate supply chains.

• A majority of senior supply chain executives say energy reliability is a top concern for warehouse operations, according to an annual survey by industrial REIT Prologis. About 89% of executives say they experienced an energy-related disruption in the past year, from price swings to weather-driven outages, Another 70% said they fear outages more than any other hurdle. Going forward, 76% of supply chain execs expect power requirements to rise 10-50% over the next five years due to AI adoption and data center construction. Respondent concern was palpable: 83% worry energy procurement could reach emergency levels, so much so that 90% said they would pay a premium for warehouses with dependable power. The survey also highlighted broader supply chain shifts: 77% are moving toward self-sufficient regional networks, and 70% have implemented advanced AI technologies. Energy reliability, AI, and strategic location were the essential focuses for supply chain companies, per the survey.
• Large US businesses have an increasingly pessimistic outlook on their financial fortunes for the rest of 2025, with 60% of executives saying they expect their companies’ performance to be flat or even shrink during the year, according to a recent report from Sentry Insurance. The survey of more than 1,000 C-level US executives found that 82% of large business leaders were more stressed than last year, 15% higher than small businesses. Almost half of respondents, 45%, cite supply chain problems brought on by tariffs as their biggest concern, followed by economic uncertainty (39%) and inflation (34%). To counter, large businesses have responded by cutting logistics and transportation staff, asking current employees to work longer hours, and delaying infrastructure improvements until costs are more manageable.