02 October 2026
Focus October 2026
Welcome to Focus – October 2026. This issue’s global trade special has one thread running through it: goods still move by ship, road, rail and aircraft, but the advantage now goes to those who can see disruption coming and have a plan ready when it arrives.
The past year has brought major tests. Disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, where ship movements reportedly fell by around 95%, increased fuel, freight and insurance costs and more than doubled the cost of moving UNHCR relief supplies from Dubai to Sudan and Chad. Humanitarian supply chains feel disruption first.
Elsewhere, resilience is shifting from firefighting to forecasting. UK exports have fallen, while its Logistics Performance Index ranking has slipped from an average of eighth to 19th. Regulation is also changing, with new EU customs rules and supply-chain disclosure requirements. Looking ahead, China’s electric truck revolution is reshaping the heavy-truck market, with battery-electric trucks now around 30% of China’s market.
Across these different issues, the message is consistent: resilience is built long before a crisis hits.
Welcome to Focus – October 2026. This issue’s global trade special has one thread running through it: goods still move by ship, road, rail and aircraft, but the advantage now goes to those who can see disruption coming and have a plan ready when it arrives.
The past year has brought major tests. Disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, where ship movements reportedly fell by around 95%, increased fuel, freight and insurance costs and more than doubled the cost of moving UNHCR relief supplies from Dubai to Sudan and Chad. Humanitarian supply chains feel disruption first.
Elsewhere, resilience is shifting from firefighting to forecasting. UK exports have fallen, while its Logistics Performance Index ranking has slipped from an average of eighth to 19th. Regulation is also changing, with new EU customs rules and supply-chain disclosure requirements. Looking ahead, China’s electric truck revolution is reshaping the heavy-truck market, with battery-electric trucks now around 30% of China’s market.
Across these different issues, the message is consistent: resilience is built long before a crisis hits.