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Logistics executives around the world expect continued volatility in geopolitics, trade, and the global economy this year, according to the 2026 Agility Emerging Markets Index
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They are managing this volatile “new normal” with the adoption of AI applications, cost controls, and reconfiguring supply chains
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The index ranks countries for overall competitiveness based on domestic and international logistics strengths, business climates and digital readiness
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The top 10 of the 2026 index are: China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, Mexico, Thailand and Brazil.
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Countries advancing the most are Ukraine and Tunisia
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Countries falling sharply are Cambodia, Pakistan, and Bolivia
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Philippines was ranked 21st, and 7th within Asia
Logistics executives around the world expect continued volatility in geopolitics, trade, and the global economy this year, an environment that they must now manage as the “new normal,” according to the 2026 Agility Emerging Markets Index.
The survey, undertaken in partnership with Ti Insights, indicates that logistics industry leaders are gearing up for the uncertainties through the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, closer review and control of costs, and reconfiguring supply chains.
Of the 503 industry professionals surveyed, 86% said they expect increased volatility in 2026 or view trade, political and economic turbulence as the “new normal.”
Part of dealing with this new normal is using AI in certain aspects of the supply chain or operations for improved efficiency.
“The survey shows near-universal logistics industry adoption of AI. 98% of respondents say their companies are using artificial intelligence to manage a piece of their supply chain or operations,” Ti Insights said in a brief on the report.
Agility Global chairman Tarek Sultan said industry leaders as well as those in government “realize there is no comfort zone, no time to rest. They’re searching for durable paths to growth at a time of extraordinary uncertainty.”
“They see AI as both a contributor to volatility and a tool to manage it. They’re facing new trade barriers in real time. They’re pushing the energy transition, and they’re navigating conflict between economic partners,” he said.
The survey also suggests that shifts in global production and sourcing – which was first prompted by COVID, then the United States-China friction, and last year by a wave of tariff increases – are continuing as companies restructure and fine tune their supply chains.
“One phrase which came up time and again throughout our research was ‘structural uncertainty’, caused by geopolitical fragmentation, trade policy volatility and uneven economic momentum. However, this year’s index has confirmed that supply chain companies aren’t retreating from this uncertainty but instead are engineering around it,” said John Manners-Bell, chief executive of Ti.
At the same time, Manners-Bell warned that while “advanced digital tools are being embedded in some markets, others are constrained by skill, infrastructure and access to capital.”
READ: Global contract logistics market expected to grow 3.3% in 2025
This year’s Agility Emerging Markets Index is the 17th edition of industry sentiment and ranking of the world’s 50 leading emerging markets.
The index ranks countries for overall competitiveness based on domestic and international logistics strengths, business climates and digital readiness — factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, air and ocean carriers, distributors and investors.
The top 10 of the 2026 index are: China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, Mexico, Thailand and Brazil.
Countries advancing the most are: Ukraine, which moved up seven spots to No. 31, and Tunisia, up four spots to 32nd.
On the other hand, those falling sharply were: Cambodia, down seven spots to 37; Pakistan, dropping five spots to 38; and Bolivia, down five to 49.
In international logistics opportunities, China, India, Mexico, UAE and Saudi Arabia rank highest.
For domestic logistics, the leaders are China, India, Indonesia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Country rankings by region are as follows:
- Middle East and North Africa – UAE (3); Saudi Arabia (4); Qatar (7); Turkey (12); Oman (14); Bahrain (15); Jordan (18); Kuwait (19); Morocco (24); Egypt (28); Tunisia (32); Algeria (35); Iran (36); Lebanon (44); Libya (46)
- Sub-Saharan Africa – South Africa (20); Kenya (25); Ghana (30); Tanzania (39); Uganda (40); Nigeria (41); Cote d’Ivoire (42); Ethiopia (45); Angola (48); Mozambique (50)
- Asia – China (1); India (2); Malaysia (5); Indonesia (6); Thailand (9); Vietnam (11); Philippines (21); Kazakhstan (22); Sri Lanka (27); Cambodia (37); Pakistan (38); Bangladesh (43); Myanmar (47)
- Latin America – Mexico (8); Brazil (10); Chile (13); Uruguay (17); Colombia (23); Peru (26); Argentina (29); Paraguay (33); Ecuador (34); Bolivia (49)
- Europe – Russia (16); Ukraine (31)
READ: Philippines slips in Agility logistics index 2025
