Global volatility is reshaping supply chains, according to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ “2026 State of Logistics Report.” The publication is authored annually by global consulting firm Kearney and presented by Penske Logistics, a leading supply chain solutions provider. It provides a snapshot of the American economy through the lens of the supply chain sector. The latest report reveals that U.S. business logistics costs totaled $2.4 trillion, amounting to 7.8 percent of the nation’s GDP. In 2025, those figures were $2.6 trillion and 8.7 percent of GDP.
The report identifies five structural forces affecting the macro environment that show no signs of resolution: asymmetrical global growth; tightening financial conditions due to persistent inflation and rising public debt; accelerating trade flows and geoeconomic realignment; labor market and productivity constraints; and energy price volatility.
The report notes that artificial intelligence has moved beyond being a technology to experiment with and is now delivering measurable commercial returns in specific, well-defined applications. AI creates value in the supply chain through four capabilities: interpreting, predicting, recommending and executing.
As a result of economic headwinds and geopolitical instability, the continued fragmentation of global trade is complicating supply chain transactions. More than 1,000 U.S. freight brokers have shuttered since the 2023 report was released.
Despite this, AI adoption remains uneven among shippers and logistics providers across the supply chain, with a significant gap between companies that have integrated AI into core workflows and those still limited to isolated point solutions, while many have yet to adopt the technology at all. The report adds that companies are responding to labor constraints through accelerated adoption of automation and digital investments in AI.
“This year’s report arrives at a moment when the forces reshaping global supply chains are no longer temporary disruptions, but enduring features of the operating environment,” said Korhan Acar, Kearney partner and lead author of the report. “Rising costs driven by energy volatility, inflation and geopolitical instability are placing pressure on margins and forcing leaders to rethink traditional operating models.”
