Demand for low-cost goods has pushed manufacturing into the farthest regions of the world — many of which are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and harsh conditions. Eliminating the most vulnerable links only creates more problems; brands are only as strong as the weakest link in their supply chain. The COVID pandemic has been a test of the tensile strength of global supply chains; but it is by no means a final exam. The long-term challenge of climate change will continue to test supply chains for the foreseeable future. In the last year alone, flooding in Europe and Asia, wildfires in California and freezing temperatures in Texas each shut down significant parts of the supply chain. Add an ongoing war to the equation and it’s hard to imagine a product or supply chain not being affected in the near term.

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