Managing Supply Chains Complexities Across the Americas

The ongoing volatile maritime trade scenario not only presents challenges for the port sector but also for the broader maritime supply chain. Shippers, freight forwarders, 3PLs, carriers and beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) are faced with the plethora of challenges when it comes to keep the flows of cargo and value chains moving.

After the disruptions caused by the pandemic and other black swan events near-shoring emerged as the solution to dodge the darts coming an increasingly unpredictable maritime supply chain scenario. Yet, with the abrupt insertion of protectionist geopolitically influenced tariffs into the sector, industry experts suggest that cargo owners might be now looking to switch from nearshoring to friendly-shoring. This is, however, easier said than done since relocating entire production lines and supply chains are lengthy and expensive procedures that require careful planning. As such, cargo owners are faced with complex decision: What to prioritize? Long-term strategy, or quick reactiveness and planning for the unknown? Is it possible to balance both?

As supply chain management becomes more complex, what remains clear is that collaboration and communication between the cargo owners and the rest of their supply chain partners remains paramount if flows of goods are to remain unharmed. This discussion will provide an open forum for the broader BCO and shipper sector to discuss ideas, common challenges and experiences as well as opportunities for improvement.

• Can logistics integration provide full visibility and traceability for cargo owners?
• From globalisation to regionalisation and localisation: What will supply strategies and sourcing look like?
• What is the feasibility of shipping and intermodal logistics corridors within the Americas? Can they effectively make supply chains more efficient?
• Index-linked contracts: How feasible are these to protect supply chains against market volatility and (increasingly common) black swan events?
• Hearing from the exporters and importers: What are their headaches and success stories?
• What contingency plans can ports offer to the BCOs in case of a black swan event?
• How can shippers, freight forwarders and BCOs optimize planning, scheduling, deliveries and inventory management?
• Dealing with illicit goods: What can ports do to stop them from infiltrating supply chains?