Global trade isn't ending. It's fracturing along geopolitical lines. And it's reshaping supply chains, technology systems, and the entire logistics landscape as we enter 2026.

The signals are unmistakable. Greenland threats. US-Europe tensions mounting. Trade wars escalating. This is no longer theoretical. Supply chain directors need to understand what's coming and how to prepare.

In this critical roundtable, Mike King brings together three leading voices to break down how US-China competition, tariff volatility, shifting trade blocs, and technology will reshape supply chains right now and through the year ahead.

Neil Shearing is Chief Economist at Capital Economics and author of The Fractured Age. He explains why we're not seeing deglobalization but rather a splintering of the global economy into competing US and China-led blocs. And why this matters far more than simple tariff rates.

Marc Levinson is an economic historian and author of Outside the Box. He challenges the bloc theory with real world examples of trade policy chaos. He reveals why mega-ships may become obsolete, what's really driving trade now (spoiler: AI infrastructure), and why the logistics industry's capital investments could become stranded.

Ashley Skaanild is Principal Advisor Carrier Integration and Transformation at WiseTech Global. He brings operational reality to the macro debate. Drawing on platform data from millions of shipments and a Reuters survey of 450+ supply chain leaders, he shows how companies are actually preparing and where technology sprawl is creating blind spots.

Together, they tackle the questions keeping supply chain directors awake: How do you plan supply chains when policy changes overnight? Can you build resilience without bankrupting operations? What role will technology play in the fractured landscape ahead?

Essential listening for freight buyers, logistics managers, and anyone navigating supply chains, geopolitics, and digital transformation in 2026.

Show note links:

LEANER, SMARTER, FASTER AND MORE CONNECTED: SUPPLY CHAINS EVOLVE TO MEET RISING VOLATILITY AND COST PRESSURES A Reuters Events, Supply Chain white paper in partnership with CargoWise

Download here: https://www.cargowise.com/de-de/news/the-new-supply-chain-playbook-how-leaders-are-responding-to-cost-pressure-and-volatility/

The Fractured Age: How the Return of Geopolitics Will Splinter the Global Economy, by Neil Shearing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fractured-Age-Geopolitics-Splinter-Economy/dp/1399825720

Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas, by Marc Levinson

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outside-Box-Globalization-Changed-Spreading/dp/069119176X

#GeopoliticsTrade #Freight #Technology #LogTech #GlobalTrade #Logistics #Tariffs #2026Outlook #Wisetech #FreightBuyersClub #CapitalEconomics

 

00:00 – Trade Is Now a Weapon: Why Global Trade Is Fracturing
Trade policy as coercion, resilience costs, AI driving trade growth

01:00 – Welcome to 2026: Geopolitics, Trade Chaos, and Tech Strain
Greenland tariffs, fractured alliances, and why supply chains are under pressure

02:05 – Biggest Surprise of 2025: Tariffs, Allies Hit, and Tech U-Turns
Neil Shearing on Trump tariffs, China, and relaxed chip controls

04:10 – Why Policy Chaos Matters More Than Tariff Levels
Marc Levinson on volatility vs predictable trade costs

05:10 – AI Drove Half of Global Trade Growth Last Year
Why servers, chips, and AI infrastructure now shape trade flows

06:15 – Operational Reality: Red Sea, Alliances, and Schedule Reliability
Ashley Skaanild on shipping chaos and how trade adapts

08:00 – Are We De-Globalising or Splintering Into Trade Blocs?
Neil Shearing explains the US–China bloc thesis

09:30 – Real Supply Chain Shifts: Phones Move From China to Vietnam & India
Hard data on how geopolitics is rewiring sourcing

11:40 – Greenland, Europe, and the Risk of a Broken Transatlantic Alliance
Could the US–Europe relationship fracture?

14:40 – How Do You Plan When Policy Changes Overnight?
Supply chains without a global referee (WTO, UN under strain)

16:10 – Why Flexibility Beats Efficiency in a Fractured World
Toyota, Fukushima, and lessons for multinationals

18:00 – China Plus One Is Now China Plus Three
Marc Levinson on multi-sourcing and rising costs

19:30 – Freight Forwarders as Shock Absorbers
Why volatility is good business for forwarders

21:30 – Why Mega-Ships May Become Obsolete
24,000 TEU vessels vs new regional trade patterns

25:00 – Capital at Risk: Ports, Ships, and Stranded Assets
Marc Levinson on risky long-term logistics investments

28:30 – Geopolitics Is Now the #1 Supply Chain Risk
Reuters survey: policy volatility overtakes operations

31:00 – Resilience Costs Money: Safety Stock, Nearshoring, Trade-Offs
Why “just-in-time” no longer works

34:00 – Technology Sprawl: Too Many Systems, Not Enough Intelligence
Why visibility isn’t enough

38:30 – Why Logistics Tech Hasn’t Had Its ‘Container Moment’
Marc Levinson on standards and data fragmentation

42:00 – 2026 Predictions: Trade Growth, Suez, Freight Rates, and AI
What breaks next — and what probably won’t

47:30 – One Practical Piece of Advice for Supply Chain Directors
Final calls from Neil Shearing, Marc Levinson, and Ashley Skaanild

50:00 – Final Takeaway: Trade Isn’t Ending, It’s Fracturing

#FreightBuying #SupplyChainManagement #TradePolicy #Greenland #TransatlanticTensions #CarrierStrategy #LogisticsIndustry #CapitalEconomics #WiseTechGlobal #FreightBuyersClub #TradeWars #GeopoliticalRisk