Supply chain fears have businesses running for cover
Businesses are seeking ever more cover to enhance the resilience of their supply chains as geopolitical risks intensify.
According to intelligence and productivity platform GlobalData. companies overwhelmingly view the fallout of geopolitical tensions through the lens of indirect operational disruption, seeking products that safeguard daily commercial operations. Against this backdrop, supply chain insurance is seen as a must-have protection, according to intelligence and productivity platform GlobalData.
According to a poll conducted by GlobalData on Verdict Media sites in Q2 2026, which gathered over 100 responses from industry insiders, supply chain insurance (41.1%) is the product expected to see the highest demand due to geopolitical tensions. The second most sought-after product is cyber insurance, accounting for 20.6% of responses.
Beatriz Benito, lead insurance analyst, GlobalData, explained: “Organisations are deeply concerned about business continuity amid the cascading risks linked to a highly volatile geopolitical landscape. In contrast, demand for specialist transport and direct asset protection is lower. This highlights that organizations are deeply concerned about trade route blockages, state-sponsored cyberattacks, and collateral revenue losses that can have a cascading effect on operations, threatening day-to-day business continuity.”
Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe are creating specific trade bottlenecks such as those in the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz, leading to widespread shipping reroutes, while alternative maritime corridors are emerging. Meanwhile, the US shift toward economic nationalism—marked by sudden tariff hikes, export restrictions, and sanctions—is pressuring international trade supply networks.
Benito continued: “Insurers struggle to adapt to the rapidly changing risk landscape, compromising product availability. Although demand exists, insurance capacity is paradoxically constrained as many insurers pull products from the market, fearing the risks are unquantifiable.”
Benito concluded: “Only insurers with the most risk appetite are willing to adapt their underwriting strategies and product offerings. This requires providers to tighten policy wordings and exclusions around tariffs and sanctions, as well as to stress-test products to avoid catastrophic losses from a single event. In addition, real-time geospatial tracking is gradually gaining traction as a way to assess risks accurately and improve underwriting.”







