Supply chain is a complicated beast, and we can’t afford to skimp on the details (e.g. timeliness, quality, logistics, etc.) in our business operations. Despite the fact that the term is often used interchangeably with “dispatch”, it has a very different meaning and tends to be more about planning for delivery than about getting goods from one point to another on a defined schedule.

Supply chain and logistics is an important part of any modern business. With the constant evolution of this industry, new technologies and innovations are emerging faster than ever. As such, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive. In this article, we look at a few of the most exciting trends and innovations that are likely to shape the supply chain, now and in the future.

Trade policies set by governments and other relevant bodies globally significantly impact the supply chain. They affect the movement of goods and services across borders while influencing the economic performance of businesses and different industries. Therefore, the development of policies needs to be done with the potential impacts in mind. With global trade being a critical component of the global economy that allows countries to access goods and services that they may not be able to produce domestically, the policies need to be developed with this in mind because it drives economic growth and development. However, recent trends in global trade have favoured a narrow range of suppliers, with a heavy reliance on a small number of countries, as the pandemic exposed the weaknesses of the current supply chains. This concentration of suppliers poses significant risks to the global supply chain, and there is a growing need for greater supply diversity. This article assesses the impact of global trade policies on supply chains by first looking into the background of global trade policies.