SELECTED RECENT ARTICLES

Researchers explored how geo political rivalry over strategically important industries impact the design of global supply chains in the context of the US-China rivalry in rare earth and semi-conductor industries. Based on data gathered from interviews with supply chain executives in the semiconductors and rare earth metals industry, the following key themes were revealed:

• Decoupling: Defined as the disentanglement of strategic supply chains from China
Effects of geopolitical rivalry over strategically important industries on global supply chain design due to geopolitical risks, respondents confirmed that this phenomenon takes place in their respective industries on a large scale. The most tangible effect of decoupling was the withdrawal of manufacturing from China.

• Instruments of control: Participants noted that China’s dominance in heavy rare earth minerals gave it disproportionate leverage to control the market dynamics and prices.

• Regionalisation of supply chains: Participants were sceptical about the success of independent or semi-independent rare earth supply chains in Europe and the US due to challenges related to costs, environment and financing.

SOURCE: SOURCE: Management Production Planning & Control – The Management of Operations 
Bednarski, L., Subramanian, N., Roscoe, S., & Blome, C. (2025). Geopolitical rivalry over strategically important industries: understanding the effects on global supply chain design. Production Planning & Control, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2025.2570203

A recently published article claimed that a paradigm shift is occurring in global supply chains where the overarching aim of many governments today is to form newer strategic alliances to protect global trade flows. The authors present a framework for the implications of geopolitical disruptions on supply chains and their consequences for PSM capabilities. The authors claim that traditional risk management strategies are no longer sufficient and Reconfiguring PSM strategies and practices in the era of geopolitical disruptions advocate for supply chain plasticity, which is described as the ability to make major changes to a supply chain rapidly in order to accommodate significant shifts in the business environment.

The authors claim that when companies implement post-disruption shifts to their network structure, they witness benefits in financial and operational performance which, in turn, equips them to effectively respond to future disruptions. Finally, the authors argue that PSM’s
capability to augment sourcing strategies before a disruption occurs must become inherent to operational processes.

SOURCE: Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management Carnovale, S., Di Mauro, C., Moradlou, H., & Roscoe, S. (2025). Weaponizing Supply Chains: (Re) Configuring PSM strategies and practices in the era of geopolitical disruptions. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 31(3), 101038.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2025.10103