Fragmentation, flows, and the future of trade: Asia’s new supply chain reality

Asia sits at the center of a global trading system that is becoming more fragmented, politicized, and regionally defined. From disruptions in key shipping corridors to shifting US-China relations and the rise of industrial policy, the forces reshaping trade are no longer temporary shocks – they are structural changes.

This session offers a strategic view of how these shifts are redefining the map of global commerce:

• How geopolitical tensions are reshaping trade routes and strategic corridors
• The growing role of regionalization, alliance-building, and economic blocs
• Why disruption is becoming a persistent feature, not an exception
• What this means for Asia’s position at the heart of global trade

Bringing together geopolitical insight and trade dynamics, this session sets the context for the conversations that follow – defining the forces that will shape supply chains, infrastructure, and investment decisions in the years ahead.