How Small Businesses Can Navigate Global Trade in An Era of Polycrisis

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Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) account for 95% of all businesses and 60% of global employment, forming the backbone of the global economy. Yet they face persistent barriers to fully benefiting from international trade, including limited access to finance, complex regulations and poor digital infrastructure.

These challenges are exacerbated by the current polycrisis of economic shocks, supply chain disruptions, climate change and geopolitical uncertainty.

With support, small businesses can compete globally and drive inclusive economic development.

Discover how small businesses can navigate global trade in an era of polycrisis.

Today in Global Small Business: Global Supply Chain Trends to Watch in 2025

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Global supply chain trends to watch in 2025.
• Tariff discussions in health care and life sciences industries stoke global supply chain concerns.
• Quote of the week: "What gets measured gets improved.” – Peter Drucker
• Suppliers adopt ‘power of two’ to combat global supply chain disruptions.
• Trump’s tariffs could spark price hikes, supply chain disruptions, experts say.
• Will AI reboot supply chains?

Global Supply Chain Leader's Biggest Concerns in 2025

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Descartes Systems Group released findings from its 2024 Supply Chain Intelligence Report: Escalating Challenges for Global Supply Chain Leaders survey, which examined the most significant global trade challenges facing logistics and supply chain leaders today. The study showed that 48% of respondents identified rising tariffs and trade barriers as their top concern, closely followed by supply chain disruptions at 45% and geopolitical instability at 41%. 

Tariffs and trade barriers ranked as the priority issue regardless of company size.

Prohibiting Imports of Goods Made With Forced Labor

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I [Laurel Delaney] talked about child labor laws and compliance in a January, 2023 wegginar® for Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®, which you can find here.

Now, according to Sandler, Travis and Rosenberg, P.A., U.S. Customs and Border Protection is being urged to take specific actions to ensure that its forced labor enforcement efforts don’t result in supply chain disruptions.

In a recent letter, Federal Maritime Commission Commissioner Carl Bentzel commended CBP for its work to enforce laws prohibiting imports of goods made with forced labor, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. However, he added that legitimate delays in ensuring compliance with the UFLPA might create cargo back-ups at U.S. marine terminals, leading to operational challenges and potentially congestion at a time when “the supply chain is only now beginning to recover from two years of pandemic-related disruption.”

Read the entire news report from ST&R here.