At the BAFT International Trade and Payments Conference in Jersey City, USA, Trade Treasury Payments (TTP) spoke with David David, an international freight forwarding specialist, about how geopolitics, shifting trade policy, and supply chain diversification are reshaping the global movement of goods.

With more than two decades of experience moving freight across air, ocean, and land routes, David explained that the current environment is forcing businesses to rethink long-standing assumptions about sourcing and logistics.

David said, “It’s not only trade routes that are affected and being redrawn. It’s the entire dynamics of supply chain that is affected. Finance is affected. Sourcing is affected. And of course, the lead times of ships and air cargo are affected.”

For logistics providers and their clients, the pace of policy change has become one of the defining challenges. Once-normal decisions factors that could be relied upon for months on end are now susceptible to shifting overnight, driven by rapidly changing trade rules and geopolitical developments.

David said, “One minute my clients will make a decision and the next day that decision has to be changed or revised based on US trade policies that are constantly shifting.”

That volatility, however, is also pushing companies towards more resilient operating models. Rather than relying on a single dominant manufacturing hub, businesses are increasingly diversifying where they source and how they move freight, balancing cost, transit time, and reliability.

David said, “The silver lining is that businesses are encouraged to diversify their sourcing and the way they move their freight. They are also evaluating what’s important. Is it cost? Is it transit time? Is it resiliency?”

As these once reliable and stable sourcing patterns change with the geopolitical pressures, emerging regions are stepping up to play a larger role in global trade. Southeast Asia continues to be a major growth area, while India and parts of Africa are gaining attention as companies look to spread risk and build flexibility into their supply chains.

While logistics has traditionally focused on physical movement, David noted that finance has become increasingly central to the process. He said, “Finance is a very, very important aspect of the supply chain cycle because they are the funders of the goods that my clients import or export.”

Looking ahead, David expects supply chains to continue adapting as new trade agreements and market realities reshape global commerce. For logistics professionals, this means constant planning and change, but also continued opportunity.

David said, “Trade is peace. And if you have peace, everyone can have the opportunity to prosper: small, medium, large-scale businesses alike.”