Right now, there seems to be an endless string of supply chain roadblocks either in full force or lurking beneath the surface, ready to pounce. And just when one challenge is either tackled or fades on its own, another one jumps into its spot.
What’s Related
Last year, tariffs, trade uncertainty, labor issues, rising material costs, and freight market fluctuations were just some of the issues keeping supply chain and logistics managers up at night. Many of those challenges rolled right over into 2026, but early signs of potential new tariffs and several economic indicators are already flashing red for companies in sore need of a break.
Relief may still be a ways off. “For supply chain leaders, 2026 is unlikely to offer respite from the continual challenges of recent years,” KPMG says in its recent report on key trends impacting supply chains right now. It points to persistent trade disruption, growing tariff volatility, and the rethinking of operating models as some of the pressures organizations are facing right now.
According to KPMG, this isn’t a time for short-term fixes. Instead, it’s a moment for supply chain operators to rethink how the function runs. That includes moving artificial intelligence projects out of pilot mode and into daily planning and procurement work, where the technology can support real decisions instead of experiments. Focusing on agility, KPMG advises, “such as expanding their supplier networks, relocating production closer to vital markets or holding extra stock in selected key regions.”
Five Things to Watch in 2026
In its Supply Chain Integrity Outlook 2026 report, Impinj highlights more key issues that are impacting companies right now, including consumers’ viral shopping habits, the escalating counterfeiting problem, and tariffs. The report surveyed 750 U.S. supply chain professionals from various industries. Here are five of the top issues it says companies should be watching right now:
AI investment is outpacing data readiness. AI ranks high on companies’ investment targets right now, but data gaps could stand in the way of real results this year. The report found that 68% of supply chain leaders plan to invest in AI and automation within the next 12 months. At the same time, 51% cite data accuracy as the biggest barrier, and 41% point to limited data availability. Only 42% report real-time supply chain visibility today. Without reliable data, these advanced systems may not deliver the value everyone expects. “Supply-chain leaders are doubling down on AI and automation to build predictive models that tame today’s operational complexity,” Impinj’s VP of Product Management, Gagan Luthra, said in a press release. “But even the most advanced models are only as intelligent as the data they’re trained on.”
Tariff-related stress persists. With the potential for new Greenland-related tariffs on European Union (EU) countries surfacing in mid-January, it’s clear that tariff uncertainty is going to continue at least through the early part of this year. The survey revealed that 84% of supply chain leaders say changes in foreign trade policies affect their planning, often triggering sourcing shifts or price increases. From the consumer perspective, 56% say they’d stop buying a product if a brand passed tariff-related costs along to them. This can leave supply networks absorbing policy uncertainty on one side and customer backlash on the other.
Viral consumer demand disrupts the planning process. Social media now drives real demand shifts, not just marketing noise. According to Impinj (which also included about 1,000 consumers in its survey sample, nearly half (42%) of Americans made a purchase tied to a social media trend or influencer in the past year. At the same time, 52% of supply chain leaders say rapid demand swings pose the biggest threat to supply chain integrity, up nearly 30 points from 2024. These spikes challenge forecasting models and force operators to respond faster with less margin for error.
The need for convenience puts pressure on fulfillment networks. Delivery and pickup expectations continue to rise. According to the survey, 56% of supply chain leaders face increasing pressure to offer faster and more flexible fulfillment options. Consumers show little patience when those options fall short. In fact, more than half (51%) of them would stop buying from a brand that doesn’t offer convenient pickup or delivery choices. Companies that don’t factor this into their planning may wind up losing ground to their competitors that do.
Counterfeits and shipping fraud both erode trust. Product integrity issues extend beyond manufacturing into fulfillment, Impinj reports. For example, 78% of supply chain leaders in the retail goods industry struggle to prevent counterfeit products from reaching the market, and 71% say counterfeits have damaged their companies’ brand reputation or revenues. Fraudulent shipping adds to the problem, with 76% of the 750 companies surveyed reporting an increase in incidents within the last 12 months. The bad actors are getting smarter and craftier, which means these percentages probably won’t improve this year.
