86% of Supply Chain Leaders Face Tariff Impact: Pricing and Inventory Split

The RELEX 2026 State of the Supply Chain report reveals that tariffs and trade policy disruption have moved from threat to operational reality for the vast majority of global supply chain leaders. Eighty-six percent report direct impacts on their operations, forcing strategic trade-offs across pricing, sourcing, and inventory management. Rather than converging on a single response, companies are splitting into divergent camps: some raising prices (51%), others restructuring supply chains (18%), and still others building safety stock (28%) while competitors move to lean models (27%). This divergence reflects fundamentally different risk appetites and market positions.

Retailers are leaning heavily on pricing power and promotions (49% cite margin pressure as top challenge), while manufacturers are passing costs to customers (45%) and adjusting pack sizes or SKUs (43%). The data suggests that inflation remains the dominant pressure (cited by 34%), but trade policy shifts are now embedded in long-term planning cycles. Companies are investing in resilience mechanisms: 59% are strengthening logistics partnerships, 37% are expanding supplier bases, and 28% are increasing safety stock. Despite widespread disruption, 77% of leaders express optimism about the next 12-18 months, though only 20% are outright optimistic.

This measured confidence reflects companies' growing confidence in their ability to navigate volatility through active management of pricing, sourcing, and inventory levers. However, half of respondents expect global disruptions to remain the biggest supply chain challenge over the next three years, signaling that structural uncertainty is now the baseline assumption for strategic planning.