Nearly 80% of European supply chain professionals are expecting their operations to be impacted by geopolitical dynamics and tariffs over the next one to two years.
According to a survey of 900 European companies from ocean carrier Maersk, 50% of respondents expressed “deep concern” about the current geopolitical climate, while 80% recognized supply chain challenges as a factor impacting their business growth. In response to those growing challenges,roughly 75% of respondents said that they’re either sourcing from multiple geographies or planning to do so, up from the 53% of businesses that answered the same in the 2024 iteration of Maersk’s survey.
“European businesses certainly haven’t had it all their own way over the past five years, and the ever-changing global environment facing them is definitely here to stay for the near future,” said A.P. Moller-Maersk Europe president Aymeric Chandavoine in a November 11 release.
As U.S. tariffs continue to strain trade, nearly half of respondents flagged fluctuations in import and export costs as their top geopolitical challenge. Maersk estimates that companies were paying an average tariff rate of 54% relative to container load on U.S. imports immediately following President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” announcement in early April. Although average rates have settled down since then, the carrier noted that rates have still fluctuated dramatically, “demonstrating just how unpredictable a situation it is.”
