Freight forwarders must be prepared to manage alternative routes and modes of transport when geopolitical tensions disrupt trade corridors. This is one of the key messages of Fiata’s 2026 Market Report, presented in Milan on 7 October 2026 during the federation’s centenary congress. The report draws on responses from 111 freight forwarding and logistics professionals across 46 territories. The international federation cites disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz as an example of the vulnerability of trade routes, highlighting the need for viable alternatives. For freight forwarders, this means coordinating different routes, transport modes, gateways and partners to keep goods moving when a corridor is disrupted. Fiata describes a shift from organising transport to coordinating supply chains, bringing together transport modes, corridors, technologies and operators.
Among the factors respondents expect to have the greatest influence in the coming years are geopolitical tensions, while digitalisation continues to reshape how supply chains are planned, managed and connected. Across all regions, respondents identified resilience, connectivity, regulatory efficiency and data-driven operations as growing priorities. Regional differences emerged in the perceived importance of geopolitics, which has a particularly strong impact in Europe and Asia-Pacific, and e-commerce, which remains a major driver of change in the Americas and Africa and the Middle East.
Resilience, according to the report, depends not only on physical infrastructure but also on digital connectivity, efficient border procedures, interoperable data exchange and supportive regulatory frameworks. Fiata Director General Stéphane Graber explained that “resilience requires more than additional capacity alone”. He said it also requires connected infrastructure, interoperable digital systems, effective regulation and closer cooperation across the supply chain. Fiata President Thomas Sim described the findings as a basis for identifying where investment and development are needed, noting that priorities vary from region to region. The survey also reveals a gap between the importance attached to freight forwarders and the support available to them. Infrastructure, investment conditions, regulation, customs procedures and administrative complexity remain among the main concerns. The report therefore calls for further development of physical infrastructure and more efficient regulatory frameworks. With digitalisation and artificial intelligence driving competitiveness, policies must also keep pace.
A.M.B.
