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Summary
Supply chain decision-makers have had a particularly thorny 2024 to navigate so far because of network disruptions and regulatory uncertainties. The second half of the year and early 2025 offer no respite, with the peak shipping season set to be particularly challenging.
- Slowing demand for supply chain services: Trade activity has boomed in early 2024. Manufacturing appears to be recovering, but it is lapping a period of weak demand including electronics and destocking in retail last year. Looking ahead into the rest of 2024 and 2025 we expect to see a slowdown.
- Operational risks rising: The 2024 peak season for shipping consumer goods faces uncertain shipping capacity, the impact of Red Sea closures, potential labor strikes, and volatile shipping rates. Natural disasters are roiling supply chains from agriculture to chemicals. What can we learn from previous peak seasons and how should you structure your logistics network for 2025 and beyond?
- Elections and the reshoring decision: 2024 is the year of elections around the world, raising regulatory risks from tariffs to sanctions. Looking ahead to 2025, assessing reshoring strategies across reshoring and manufacturing investments is more important than ever - we’ll look at examples and opportunities.
Speaker
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Agnieszka Maciejewska
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Economist Director
Agnieszka Maciejewska is Economics Director at S&P Global, specializing in global supply chains, trade forecasting, macroeconomic modeling, and environmental analysis. She leads Trede Forecasting team and macroeconomic Global Link Model that deliver insights on trade flows, macro forecast, supply chain risks, and market opportunities. Agnieszka is focused on how macroeconomic shifts, regulatory changes, and environmental policies impact global trade and supply chain resilience and efficiency. She holds a master’s degree in economics, International Trade from the University of Gdansk.
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Chris Rogers
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Head of Supply Chain Research
Chris Rogers is Head of Supply Chain Research at S&P Global Market Intelligence. He has over 25 years of research experience, including more than a decade covering global supply chains. He has worked at firms including Panjiva (acquired by S&P Global in 2018), Bloomberg, JP Morgan, and most recently freight forwarder Flexport. His coverage includes corporate decision-making, international trade policy, and logistics network operations.
Steve Balaski
Director of Business Development, The Northwest Seaport Alliance
Steve Balaski leads the commercial efforts to grow international container business at the Northwest Seaport Alliance, a marine cargo partnership of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma.
Steve Balaski leads the commercial efforts to grow international container business at the Northwest Seaport Alliance, a marine cargo partnership of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma. He is focused on increasing volumes of global importers and exporters who utilize the NW Seaport Alliance container gateway in their supply chains. He also partners with international ocean carriers to expand existing services and attract new ones to the NWSA.
Steve’s background includes over 25 years in the maritime transportation and logistics industries. Prior to joining the NWSA, he held leadership positions in operations, project management, marketing and sales with Crowley Maritime, Horizon Lines and APL.
Steve received his MBA from Seattle University and BA from the University of Washington.
Moderator
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Eric Oak
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Senior Supply Chain Intelligence Analyst
Eric focuses on developing data driven research on international trade, logistics, and supply chains. He has multi-industry experience in global procurement ranging from paperboard boxes to enterprise software, and holds an MS in Business Analytics from Babson College and a BS in Supply Chain and Operations Management from Miami University.
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