Chemical Supply Chain: A system under strain

Tim Doggett, CEO of the Chemical Business Association examines the reality facing the chemical supply chain The global chemical supply chain is no stranger to disruption. But what we are seeing today is fundamentally different. It is neither a single disruption nor a series of events, but a convergence of multiple pressures – geopolitical conflict, energy volatility, logistics breakdown, regulatory uncertainty and long-term underinvestment – all bearing down on an already vulnerable system. We have seen similar pressures before, during the pandemic and following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, yet many of the underlying vulnerabilities exposed during those crises remain unresolved. The result is a supply chain that remains operational, but under sustained and increasing strain. For the UK, as a deeply interconnected trading nation, the consequences are immediate and unavoidable. While not yet a supply chain crisis, the system is edging closer to one. Exposing a Fragile System The conflict in the Middle East has brought the fragility of global chemical supply chains into sharp focus. At the heart of the issue lies geography. The region is not simply another production...