13 May 2026: Supply chain thefts rose by 56% last year, even before the effects of the latest geopolitical instability were felt, research by BSI has found.
Throughout 2025, expanding tariffs, export controls and shifting trade policies raised costs, disrupted sourcing strategies and accelerated supply chain restructuring throughout global routes.
These shifts also introduced new risks, including increased exposure to theft, compliance challenges and operational complexity.
BSI’s 2026 Supply Chain Risks and Opportunities Report, which assesses incidents in the last 12 months and what they mean for the year ahead, finds that global supply chains are facing an increasingly complex and interconnected risk environment, with disruptions no longer able to be managed as isolated incidents.
It highlights that true resilience requires end-to-end visibility across supply networks and the ability to respond quickly. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, these disruptions are only intensifying.
Highlighting the continued vulnerability of essential or high-demand goods, food and beverages were the most frequently targeted commodities in cargo theft in South Africa.
In-transit thefts were the most targeted location of cargo thefts in South Africa, accounting for around half (48%), with hijacking being the most common tactic; almost two thirds (57%) of thefts in South Africa were through hijacking.
Cyberattacks on the supply chain also increased in both frequency and sophistication, with at least 32 recorded incidents in the global maritime sector alone.
Attacks on ports, freight forwarders and customs systems caused operational shutdowns, cargo delays and rising insurance costs, while the average global cost of a data breach reached US $4.4 million.
Susan Taylor Martin, Chief Executive, BSI said: “Our report brings together regional intelligence and cross-cutting analysis to underscore how overlapping challenges are impacting industries from energy and logistics to manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and technology, reinforcing the need for a unified risk strategy that spans geopolitical, economic, social, security, and operational disruption.
“Now, with the war in Iran, it’s essential for organizations to strengthen resilience and risk-mitigation efforts. With organizations under pressure to manage supply chain disruption in real time, it is clear risks can no longer be addressed in isolation. Resilience depends on understanding them as a connected whole.”
The report outlines how labor unrest intensified globally last year, emerging as a sustained, systemic risk impacting production continuity. Wage disputes were the strongest trigger, accounting for 42%, followed by working conditions at 16% and government policies at 10%.
Strike activity was concentrated in key manufacturing and logistics hubs, including China, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, and the US, with additional notable disruptions in Mexico, Germany, and France.
This disproportionately affected labor‑intensive and time‑sensitive sectors such as apparel, food and beverage, agriculture, automotive, fuel, and textiles, amplifying downstream supply chain fragility.
Meanwhile, extreme weather events reinforced how climate risk has evolved into a persistent driver of supply chain disruption.
Climate incidents increasingly unfolded in clusters, compounding impacts across production, transportation, and workforce availability.
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