Supply Chain Leaders Wary of Unprecedented Risks

The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) has published its Q2 2025 Pulse Survey, and the findings paint a sobering picture for global supply chains.

Procurement leaders are reporting their highest-ever levels of concern about disruption, with anxieties around shipping costs, fuel prices, and the risk of shortages intensifying as tariff battles and geopolitical shocks reshape trade flows.

The survey shows record disruption warnings for both the short and long term. On a 1–7 scale, short-term concern rose to 4.57, up from 4.36 in Q1, while 12-month concern increased to 5.03, also the highest on record. According to CIPS CEO Ben Farrell, procurement professionals are “operating in uncharted waters” where disruption is no longer a possibility but a certainty and the only unknowns are when and where it will strike.

Logistics is once again at the top of the risk list. Nearly a quarter of procurement leaders now expect shipping and transport costs to rise by more than 10%, placing supply chains under further strain. Fuel and petroleum-based inputs were ranked equally high, while pharmaceuticals, food, and metals were also highlighted as categories facing sharp increases. The concern is not just about higher costs but about continuity of supply, with CIPS economist Dr John Glen warning of a “perfect storm” created by tariff upheaval and Middle East instability that threatens to squeeze already stretched logistics networks.

Geopolitics remains the dominant source of risk. More than half of survey respondents pointed to conflicts in the Middle East and the disruption of shipping routes, while concern over the US–China trade conflict has surged to 36%, up sharply from 25% in Q1. When asked to rank their organisation’s broader worries, 66% cited political or geopolitical instability. The highest level ever recorded in the Pulse survey. Supplier fragility and logistics disruption also climbed, while inflation fell as a top concern, suggesting a shift from price volatility to fears over actual availability.

In response, procurement leaders are continuing to pursue strategies such as supplier diversification, stockpiling, and longer contracts. But confidence in these measures is beginning to weaken, with scores slipping since Q1, perhaps reflecting a sense that resilience planning is reaching its limits. As one respondent remarked, “From shipping lanes to silicon chips, no category is safe from disruption.”

The message from the Pulse survey is clear: procurement professionals remain the early warning system of the global economy, and right now, their alarm bells are ringing louder than ever.

With disruption expected as a certainty rather than a possibility, knee-jerk reactive measures are no longer enough. What procurement leaders need is real-time visibility, control, and agility across every stage of their supply chain.

Metro’s proprietary platform, MVT, unifies procurement, freight, inventory, and logistics into one connected system. By tracking milestones in real time, integrating with ERP and sales platforms, and enabling data-led decisions, MVT gives businesses the insight and agility to mitigate risks before they escalate.

Backed by Metro’s global reach, sector expertise, and fully integrated services, MVT is the backbone of scalable, future-ready supply chains, helping organisations navigate tariff upheaval, geopolitical shocks, and rising logistics costs with confidence.

EMAIL Andrew Smith, Managing Director, to discover how MVT can give you total control of your supply chain.