A new DP World analysis reveals that half of North American firms experienced over a month of supply chain disruption last year, prompting a shift towards technological investment and regional realignment for greater resilience.
Half of North American firms reported losing more than a month of operating time to supply‑chain disruption in the past year, and almost four in ten said disruption-related expenses exceeded $1 million, according to a new global analysis publi...
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shed by DP World. The company said the findings underline a shift by businesses across the Americas towards shortening and fortifying supply chains, boosting investment in technology and prioritising infrastructure reliability.
The study, which surveyed cargo owners across multiple industries and trade regions, found that around two thirds of North American respondents expect logistics spending to rise over the next year, and that more than three quarters plan greater expenditure on AI, automation and digital logistics tools across the next three years. The firm said these moves reflect a transition from short-term reaction to disruption toward strategic resilience planning, with ports, inland links and end‑to‑end connectivity flagged as central to reducing downtime and recovery risk.
Morten Johansen, Chief Operating Officer of DP World in the Americas, said: “Supply chain disruption is happening more frequently, from more directions, and the cost of reacting too late is growing. This report reinforces the need for supply chains that boost diversification, more regional, and better integrated. Across the Americas, customers are prioritizing infrastructure quality, reliability, and end-to-end connectivity to stay competitive in an increasingly complex trade environment.”
The report’s conclusions align with prior research published by the same group showing that geopolitical shocks are widely seen as a major vulnerability yet preparedness remains limited; in that earlier study the majority of supply‑chain leaders flagged geopolitical disruption as a significant threat, while only a quarter felt fully ready for policy shifts. That work also estimated a typical revenue hit from disruption in the order of several percentage points, with inflation and tariffs among the top concerns.
DP World has pointed to a series of operational moves that it says mirror respondents’ priorities. Recent announcements by the firm include capacity and service expansions in Latin America, a new multi‑client warehouse in central Mexico intended to support nearshoring demand, and a long‑term arrangement to increase vessel calls and container handling at a major Brazilian terminal. The company also highlighted supply‑chain security gains after securing a US customs partnership for a freight consolidation facility near the Mexico border.
Independent details cited by DP World’s own advisory materials suggest companies that adopt AI in logistics can materially reduce forecasting error and lost sales; the company’s playbook reports reductions in forecasting mistakes of up to half and substantial drops in lost sales where advanced analytics are deployed. The new report argues such tools will be central to moving from reactive fixes to anticipatory operations.
Taken together, the documents portray the Americas as a pivotal zone for supply‑chain realignment: firms are increasingly balancing global sourcing with nearer‑market production, while public and private investments in ports, inland transport and warehousing are being cited as decisive factors in competitiveness. The company said that integrating ports, inland transport, freight forwarding and warehousing under a unified operating model helps firms rebalance supply chains and respond earlier to disruption.
While the report stresses the business case for proactive resilience, it also echoes earlier warnings about the uneven state of preparedness across sectors. Supply‑chain leaders face a mix of weather, congestion, border friction and geopolitical pressures, and the data suggests many organisations still lag on policy readiness and systematic contingency planning.
The company made the full report available alongside the announcement and invited readers to review its findings and related operational updates.
Source: Noah Wire Services
