Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Supply Chain Resilience (23-slide PowerPoint presentation). Supply Chain "resilience" is the Supply Chain's ability to respond and recover quickly to potential disruptions. It can return to its original situation or grow by moving to a new, more desirable state in order to increase customer service, market share, and financial performance.
Resilience is [read more]
Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Supply Chain Management (SCM), take a look at Flevy's Supply Chain Management (SCM) Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.
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The UK–US trade corridor is a cornerstone for many industries, but it is under pressure. Tariff changes, compliance hurdles, and global supply chain disruptions are forcing operations leaders to rethink how they manage transatlantic flows. Building resilience is now a strategic requirement rather than an optional improvement.
The Evolving Tariff Landscape
In 2025, the United States introduced sweeping tariff measures affecting UK exports. Most goods face a 10 percent baseline tariff, while sectors such as steel and aluminum continue to carry additional duties of up to 25 percent.
Recent developments have brought positive news for UK exporters trading with the United States. The UK–US Economic Prosperity Deal, signed in June 2025, delivered meaningful tariff reductions in strategically important sectors.
One of the biggest wins was in automotive exports. Tariffs on UK-made cars entering the US market were cut from 27.5 percent to just 10 percent on the first 100,000 vehicles each year. For aerospace, tariffs were removed entirely, giving UK manufacturers of aircraft engines and components a significant advantage.
These changes represent an important step forward for UK–US trade relations. They not only ease cost pressures for exporters but also provide fresh opportunities for growth in industries where the UK is already highly competitive.
Key Challenges in Transatlantic Supply Chains
Alongside tariffs, businesses face structural challenges that can slow down trade and increase costs:
Complex customs documentation and compliance requirements.
Longer lead times on sea freight, combined with capacity fluctuations on air routes.
Higher fuel and labor costs that ripple through transport pricing.
Supply shocks linked to political and economic events.
Each of these factors can affect cash flow, inventory management, and service levels.
Diversifying Transport Modes to Mitigate Risk
No single mode of transport can meet every business requirement. A resilient supply chain uses a mix of solutions to spread risk and control costs.
Air freight provides speed and reliability for urgent or high-value shipments.
Multimodal strategies allow flexibility by combining methods and adjusting to changing conditions.
Diversification ensures that when tariffs, congestion, or delays hit one option, alternatives are available.
Leveraging Technology for Supply Chain Visibility
Visibility is central to resilience. Modern platforms give businesses real-time insight into shipment locations and expected delivery times. Predictive analytics can highlight risks, such as delays linked to port congestion or regulatory changes.
For operations teams, better data translates into faster decision-making. Instead of reacting after delays occur, businesses can reroute shipments, adjust inventory buffers, or communicate early with customers.
Adapting Supply Chain Design to Policy Shifts
One of the most effective resilience strategies is redesigning supply chains to account for new tariff structures. Instead of treating tariffs as short-term disruption, many firms are taking a structural approach.
Revisiting sourcing strategies: Some manufacturers are shifting parts of their supply chain to reduce tariff exposure, sourcing more components domestically or from countries with favorable trade agreements.
Reallocating production: Companies with global footprints are evaluating where to assemble goods, weighing tariff costs against logistics savings.
Optimizing shipment sizes and timing: By consolidating loads or adjusting shipping frequency, firms can absorb tariffs more efficiently.
Building financial flexibility: Operations leaders are also working closely with finance teams to hedge risks, whether through currency strategies or by adjusting payment terms with suppliers.
This kind of structural agility positions businesses not just to cope with tariffs but to turn them into a competitive advantage.
Strengthening Collaborative Partnerships
Equally important to resilience is the ability to build strong partnerships across the supply chain. By sharing forecasts and aligning on volumes, companies can negotiate better rates, secure transport capacity, and reduce inefficiencies. In some cases, competitors are cooperating through shared logistics hubs to keep costs down in high-tariff markets.
Others are working through industry groups to influence future trade rules and create a more predictable business environment. These collaborative approaches expand resilience beyond individual firms and create stronger, more adaptive supply chain ecosystems.
Conclusion: Future-Proofing UK–US Supply Chains
Resilient supply chains are built on diversification, visibility, and strong partnerships. With tariffs and trade rules shifting, companies must plan for disruption as a constant factor. By combining flexible transport strategies, digital tools, and trusted logistics partners, UK businesses can maintain reliable access to the US market and safeguard growth opportunities.
This deck was developed to support supply chain visioning and strategic diagnostics. It provides checklists of key questions to ask in formulating a supply chain strategy, core frameworks, tools and techniques that facilitate the strategic thinking process.
See also "Supply Chain Performance and [read more]
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The UK–US trade corridor is a cornerstone for many industries, but it is under pressure. Tariff changes, compliance hurdles, and global supply chain disruptions are forcing operations leaders to rethink how they manage transatlantic flows. Building resilience is now a strategic requirement rather than an optional improvement.
