Global chemicals supply chains are being battered by disruption at an unprecedented scale, costing cargo owners more than $12.2 billion a year, according to new analysis from DP World.
The study reveals more than 17,500 logistics incidents annually across the sector, exposing an industry under intense strain at borders, ports and regulatory checkpoints. With chemicals forming the backbone of 96% of all manufactured goods, failures in their movement ripple quickly across the global economy, triggering manufacturing slowdowns and delays in agriculture, construction and consumer products.
Disruption has become the norm. Over the past three years, 92% of chemical cargo owners have experienced customs or border delays, 91% have been hit by geopolitical instability and 90% have suffered from port congestion.
The financial toll is severe. A single disruption now costs an average of $700,000, while nearly a third of businesses report annual losses exceeding $1 million. One in ten faces losses of $5 million or more. Time lost is equally damaging: more than half of cargo owners say disruptions have wiped out over a month of operational time, with transit and lead times rising by at least 11%.
Yet despite the mounting pressure, confidence remains high. Almost nine in ten chemicals leaders believe they can scale efficiently over the next three years, driving a surge in logistics investment. Digitalisation tops the agenda, with 86% of cargo owners identifying it as the most critical lever for building resilience.
That optimism, however, masks a growing gap between ambition and reality. Forecasting, planning, supplier reliability and end-to-end visibility remain the sector’s most persistent weaknesses—precisely the areas where digital tools, integrated networks and predictive analytics could deliver the biggest gains.
Markus Kanis, Global Senior Vice President, Chemicals, DP World, said: “Chemicals underpin every major industry and that makes logistics failures uniquely consequential. Our research shows a sector deeply exposed across borders, ports and geopolitical flashpoints, while managing hazardous and time-sensitive cargo. In today’s environment, visibility and flexibility are not optional, they are the foundations of resilience.”
“The direction is clear: chemicals leaders are shifting to data-led, proactive logistics, where forecasting, digitisation and integrated networks determine whether businesses can protect value, maintain safe operations and support the global industries that depend on them.”
Beat Simon, Chief Operating Officer – Logistics, DP World, said: “Across every sector we study, disruption is exposing where supply chains lack resilience, but the chemicals industry faces some of the highest risks of all. The strongest performers invest early in visibility, scenario planning and multi-route robustness. By building networks that can flex and recover, chemicals cargo owners can reduce costs, protect commitments and strengthen their competitive position.”
As one of the world’s most interconnected industries, chemicals are emerging as a bellwether for whether next-generation logistics models can withstand escalating geopolitical and climate volatility. DP World’s analysis urges companies to confront systemic vulnerabilities and accelerate the redesign of supply chains for a world where disruption is no longer the exception, but the rule.
The findings are drawn from DP World’s global study of 680 senior logistics leaders across eight industry sectors, including senior decision-makers within chemicals companies.
The research combines primary surveys with a data model linking disruption costs to logistics investment, company size and reputational impact, offering an executive-level view of supply chain resilience and the true cost of disruption.
