TL; DR

Global supply chains stayed resilient in 2025 despite US‑China trade tensions, tariff shocks, and shifting buyer demand. QIMA inspection and audit data reveals record diversification, major regional sourcing shifts in Asia Pacific, and the Mediterranean and thriving South‑South trade links. In 2026, buyers will continue expanding multi‑regional supplier networks to mitigate risks and maintain agility.

Global Supply Chains Proved Resilient in 2025 in the Face Trade and Geopolitical Pressures

Despite the shocks created by shifting US trade policies, global supply chains showed notable flexibility and resilience throughout 2025. New trade partnerships and the strong performance by emerging economies opened meaningful opportunities for diversification, helping global procurement avoid the worst-case disruption scenarios.

At the same time, the broader trade outlook remains fragile. This uncertainty is prompting buyers and suppliers to accelerate their diversification strategies and focus on resilience as they prepare for a more volatile global environment in 2026.

QIMA 2025 Data Snapshot

Supply Chain Diversification Hits All-Time High

QIMA’s data on inspections and audits shows that both buyers and suppliers took active steps to diversify their networks and reduce risk in 2025, a trend that’s likely to continue into the coming year.

Major buyer markets saw a drop in sourcing concentration for consumer products like apparel, toys and homewares. For North American buyers, the combined share of the top three supplier countries (China, India, Vietnam) fell from 61% to 54% in a single year. Western European brands saw a slower but steady shift, with the top three suppliers (China, Vietnam, Bangladesh) accounting for 70% of inspections and audits in 2025, down from 77% in 2021. In both regions, reduced business with China was the main driver, but much of the volumes redirected from China landed beyond the second- and third-biggest supplier markets. On the supply side, Chinese exporters focused more on emerging markets. South and Latin American clients’ share of inspections and audits in China rose to 30% in 2025, while North American and Western European clients together made up less than half, underscoring the increasingly multi-polar nature of global supply chains and the key role of South-South trade as a growth driver.

Fig. 1: Evolution of top 3 sourcing regions for North American and European buyers, 2021-2025

US Supply Chains Leaned on China’s Competitors to Navigate 2025

US procurement patterns shifted sharply throughout 2025, with peaks driven by front‑loading ahead of tariff hikes and troughs falling below 2024 levels. Despite the turbulence, QIMA data shows US procurement ending the year in positive territory, with inspection and audit demand up +9% year‑on‑year in the 12 months of 2025.

Supplier hubs across Asia played a key role in supporting US consumer goods supply chains during this volatility. Inspection and audit demand grew by double digits in most Southeast Asian countries (+42% YoY across the region) and in South Asia (+14% YoY), while demand for China sourcing decreased -18% YoY.

Nearshoring and reshoring also contributed to growth, although these remain a relatively small share of total sourcing, rising only slightly to 7.6% in 2025 (from 7.1% in 2024). While demand in major nearshoring markets such as Mexico and Guatemala was subdued, domestic US inspection demand rose in every quarter, suggesting that US procurement strategies for 2026 are likely to include limited-scale reshoring.

Fig. 2: US inspection and audit demand trends, globally, 2024-2025 (YoY change)

European Buyers Spread Risks Through Overseas and Regional Partnerships

European procurement trends continue to be influenced by shifts in consumer sentiment and overall economic conditions. Smaller economies such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Austria, recorded strong procurement activity in 2025, while demand was more muted in the UK, France and, to a lesser extent, Germany.

Faced with fluctuating conditions at home and an unpredictable trade environment abroad, QIMA inspection and audit data suggests that European buyers are poised to maintain existing supplier relationships while hedging risks through diversification. China remained an important sourcing partner for products such as toys and electricals, but the fastest growth in inspection demand came from Southeast Asian hubs, including Vietnam (+12% YoY), Thailand (+23% YoY), and Cambodia (+6% YoY).

Looking ahead, regional sourcing is likely to keep playing a key role in resilience strategies. In the past year, nearshoring and reshoring reached a record 14% of EU sourcing, with the Mediterranean region recording strong growth (+25% YoY). While Turkey’s textile sector struggled with rising costs and labor shortages, Egypt (+52%), Morocco (+38%), and Tunisia (+18%) came out ahead, supported by both new business and orders reallocated within the region.

China’s Export Market Diversification Accelerates South-South Trade

In 2025, US-China trade tensions further encouraged American supply chains to shift sourcing away from China. In response, Chinese exporters intensified diversification efforts, building stronger ties with developing markets and advanced economies outside the US – a trend likely to accelerate in 2026.

While US demand for inspections and audits in China fell -18% YoY in the 12 months of 2025, the drop was partly balanced by other Western buyers. QIMA data shows that many European brands still rely on China for textiles and apparel, with notable Q4 increases from Italy, Spain, Austria, the UK, and the Netherlands. Beyond Europe, inspection demand also grew in Canada (+9% YoY), Australia (+2% YoY), and New Zealand (+38% YoY).

Southeast Asia Affirmed Its Position as a Global Sourcing Powerhouse

In 2025, Southeast Asia strengthened its position as one of the main growth engines in global trade, with sourcing activity increasing in every quarter. QIMA data shows inspection and audit demand in the region rising +24% YoY, led by Vietnam (+30%) and Thailand (+44%). Indonesia (+13%), Cambodia (+16%), and the Philippines (+13%) also recorded strong growth.

Notably, inspections from US and European buyers grew at the same pace as the regional average, while demand from Latin and South American clients surged 61% YoY in the 12 months of 2025. This suggests that Southeast Asia has the potential to remain a key sourcing region in 2026, with the capacity to take on more orders as Western supply chains diversify, and the influx of new business from other emerging markets.