Operational Excellence (OPEX) Insight – Thursday- March 19, 2026: 86% of Businesses Impacted by Tariffs – Operations Are No Longer an Internal Game.
Góc Nhìn Vận Hành Xuất Sắc – Thứ Năm, Ngày 19/03/2026: 86% Doanh Nghiệp Bị Ảnh Hưởng Bởi Thuế Quan – Vận Hành Không Còn Là Câu Chuyện Nội Bộ.
Welcome To Operational Excellence (OPEX) Insight Article For The Paid Subscriber-Only Edition.
This is the bilingual post in English and Vietnamese. Vietnamese is below.
Đây là bài viết song ngữ Anh-Việt. Tiếng Việt ở bên dưới.
English
PART 1 – OFFICIAL INFORMATION
A recent report indicates that 86% of supply chain leaders confirm that their business operations have been impacted by tariffs and trade policies. This figure clearly reflects the growing influence of external factors on the operations system of enterprises, especially within a globalized business environment.
According to the 2026 report, the majority of companies stated that tariff policies have forced them to adjust multiple aspects of their operations, including supply planning, sourcing strategy, operational cost, and value chain structure. This demonstrates that tariffs are no longer merely a financial issue or a trade issue, but have become a direct factor influencing how businesses operate.
In recent years, trade tensions between countries, along with the rise of economic protectionism, have led many governments to impose new import tariffs. These changes not only increase business costs but also create instability in long-term planning. As a result, companies are required to continuously adjust their operational strategy to adapt to a changing environment.
The report also shows that many companies have had to implement supplier diversification, pursue production relocation to other countries, or undertake logistics network redesign to mitigate the impact of tariffs. However, these changes are often associated with high upfront investment and require companies to undergo operating system redesign.
In addition, tariffs directly affect product cost, which in turn impacts a company’s competitiveness in the market. When input costs increase, businesses are forced to choose between price increases or margin reduction. Both options have implications for business performance and market position.
An important point is that the impact of tariffs is not limited to direct import-export businesses. Even companies operating in the domestic market can be indirectly affected through input price volatility, supply chain shifts, and adjustments made by global partners.
According to experts, such a high level of impact indicates that businesses are now operating in an increasingly complex environment, where factors such as trade policy, geopolitics, and regulations can directly influence daily operations.
The 2026 report also highlights that many supply chain leaders are allocating more resources to policy monitoring and impact assessment of external factors. This reflects a significant shift in the role of operations management—from focusing on internal efficiency to managing external risk.
Tariffs and trade policies are no longer elements outside the scope of the operations function, but have become a critical part of the planning process and decision-making within organizations.
