Global supply chains are coming under renewed pressure in 2026. Supply-chain stress means more containers being caught up in delays, congestion and longer journeys through the global shipping system. The World Bank’s Global Supply Chain Stress Index reached a record 2.87 million TEUs in August, 33% above its previous 2022 high, while the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index has more than doubled since Q1.

The pressure is global but highly uneven across maritime regions. Several remain elevated, while a smaller number have seen exceptional increases in 2026. Two of the clearest are the China Sea, where stress has more than doubled its previous record, and the Red Sea, which reached a record high in July.

For procurement teams, this means that a competitive supplier price increasingly tells only part of the story. Higher freight rates, longer lead times and disruption along critical shipping corridors can quickly increase the true landed cost of an input or delay its arrival altogether. Diversifying suppliers does not necessarily diversify risk if those suppliers ultimately depend on the same ports and shipping routes.

The practical response is straightforward: recheck landed costs, allow more time for critical shipments, understand the routes behind key suppliers and identify alternative suppliers, ports and routings before they are needed. In 2026, procurement resilience is increasingly about knowing not only what you buy and from whom, but how it gets to you.