Updated
Updated · The Business Times · Jun 25
Thailand, Philippines, Argentina Emerge as 3 Supply-Chain Rising Stars as 90% of Trade Faces Higher Risk
Updated
Updated · The Business Times · Jun 25

Thailand, Philippines, Argentina Emerge as 3 Supply-Chain Rising Stars as 90% of Trade Faces Higher Risk

3 articles · Updated · The Business Times · Jun 25

Summary

  • Verisk Maplecroft said Thailand, the Philippines and Argentina are underused markets poised to gain bigger supply-chain roles as companies prioritize resilience over pure cost and efficiency.
  • More than 150 countries accounting for 90% of global trade have seen trade resilience deteriorate, while a third of the busiest ports and airports face conflict, environmental or domestic security disruption.
  • Thailand and the Philippines still face near-term headwinds from the Strait of Hormuz shutdown during the US-Israel conflict with Iran, but the report says longer-term investors may find both markets attractive.
  • Thailand's risks have fallen relative to regional peers over five years, helped by AI-driven electronics investment, while the Philippines offers a young English-speaking workforce despite corruption fallout and political infighting.
  • Argentina could benefit from the EU-Mercosur accord and a reciprocal trade and investment deal with the US, as Western efforts to cut China exposure create new contenders beyond Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico and Brazil.

Insights

What are the hidden social and environmental costs of shifting global supply chains to these emerging economies?
Can Argentina's resource boom overcome its history of economic instability to become a reliable supply chain hub?
Beyond buzzwords, what are the real costs for companies choosing supply chain resilience over pure efficiency?