Insights

Know your supplier – Diversifying comes with risk, amidst escalating trade wars

With global trade tensions escalating, supplier diversification has been embraced as the leading antidote to mitigate short-term risks. Thus, rapid pushes for multi-sourcing, local-for-local, component substitution, stockpiling, and scenario planning have engulfed executive teams. CPG companies are accelerating years of work in nearshoring and onshoring suppliers and production. While the financial benefits of supplier diversification seem straightforward, the risks posed to an enterprise without a robust know your supplier program will expose new threats to reputation, operations, customer interfacing, and more. How should executive teams re-imagine due diligence during Trump 2.0 and global trade upheaval?

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Tariffs endgame, economic powerplay or political gamble?

After a week of wild swings in markets and growing demands from investors, President Trump’s trade war may be coming into clearer focus with Wednesday’s (4/9) pause on most reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. With stocks surging on Wednesday, many are hoping that his goal is clearer – China containment. President Trump cited talks with foreign nations in explaining the reversal, but said China would not be included after Beijing announced further retaliations. While the China angle is feasible, we also offer a spectrum of scenarios to help decision-makers play-out risks and opportunities. How will executives assess their risks and re-conceptualize their strategies – supply chain, CapEx, de-valuation, and more?

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RTO is here to stay

Real estate companies are navigating RTO policies by balancing financial impacts, employee preferences, and market trends. The rise of remote and hybrid work has led to underutilized office spaces and changes in tenant demand, prompting management teams to explore repurposing, flexible leasing, and strategic property acquisitions. To retain talent, companies are adopting hybrid work models while carefully planning space utilization. Companies are also capitalizing on market downturns by acquiring discounted office properties to adapt to evolving business needs. As the landscape continues to shift, the question is whether management teams are being bold enough to rethink the traditional office model, or are they merely reacting to short-term trends?

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Navigating shifting Political Risk under Trump 2.0 – how companies are staying ahead

In the past, political risk has been a specific category of risks that management teams and their boards reviewed quarterly and managed through insurance policies. Acute issues were handled by task forces or crisis management teams. Now, under President Trump’s second administration, political risks are blurring and broadening to include: protectionist trade policy, sanctions, tariff retaliation, export/import bans, cyber-attacks, regional strife and conflict, border security, human rights, international terrorism, failed multilateral cooperation, increasing influence of populist governments, and more. With many of these themes presenting themselves weekly and daily, how do companies recast their political risk management under Trump 2.0?

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Global tariff retaliation comes with a heavy hand

As President Trump ramps up his tariff policies in an effort to protect U.S. industries, key trading partners—including Canada, Mexico, the European Union (EU), and China—have announced retaliatory measures. These responses range from reciprocal tariffs to export restrictions on critical raw materials and industrial goods, posing significant risks to U.S. businesses. Understanding these developments and their implications is crucial for corporate executives navigating supply chain disruptions, pricing volatility, and international trade negotiations.

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U.S. tariffs turbulence: approaches for global companies

In 2024 alone, over 3,000 trade restrictions were implemented globally. This global trend is reflected predominantly in President Trump’s protectionist trade agenda. With their complex international footprint, global companies like Caterpillar, Komatsu, Unilever, Nestlé, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota will either face the impact of tariffs or retaliatory measures. While President Trump’s policies create cost and uncertainty, they also call for adaptation, domestic investment, restructuring, joint ventures, automation, and process innovation. Finally, new climate-related compliance requirements add more complexity to global trade flows with China and Europe.

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ESG – will it survive?

Headlines have proliferated on corporate rollbacks of promises, goals, and investment in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and Sustainability—in the U.S. and globally. This can be a range of topics – be it emissions reduction goals, waste reduction goals, and, most dramatically, Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI). We are seeing an intensifying pressure on U.S. corporate leaders to limit their legal exposure to concepts that were only recently championed as critical to their success.

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Businesses react to 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum

In February 2025, President Trump reinstated the full 25% tariff on steel imports and increased aluminum tariffs to 25%, eliminating all previous exemptions and alternative agreements. This action expanded the tariffs to include key downstream products and terminated all general approved exclusions. Analysts expect these tariffs to lead to price hikes in vehicles, canned and other consumer products, and construction projects especially. But, if the first round of steel and aluminum tariffs are indicative, U.S. producers generally saw economic gains, job creation, while international companies faced increased costs and market uncertainties. For CPG, Industrial, Automative, and Construction sectors especially, proactive agility and consistent monitoring will be necessary to reduce exposure to global supply chain volatility and increased costs

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Companies ready for EUDR – Europe’s enhanced deforestation regulation is here

With the EU’s deforestation laws coming online this month, business leaders will need to ensure that commodities in their supply chains do not contribute to deforestation. The broad range of commodities scoped into the regulation include wood, rubber, palm oil, soy, beef, cattle, and/or cacao. In advancing this regulation, the EU aims to minimize its contributions to global deforestation and, in turn, reduce its impact on climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss. Companies will have to quickly adapt their commercial operations to ensure compliance and think strategically to gain a competitive edge in doing so.

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Sanctions – is your business ready?

With national security central to Trump’s policy agenda, sanction compliance will be a critical topic for all management teams to reassess. Especially so, as nearly one third of all countries are impacted. As stewards of the company, business leaders must ensure responsible and ethical operations, which include strict adherence to sanctions. Failing to comply can expose the company to significant legal and reputational risks, which will ultimately harm shareholders’ and company interests.

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