Frost Brown Todd Partner Eric Baker is quoted by Plastics Today in an article discussing how the October 2025 federal shutdown and tariff environment has exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. industry supply chains, prompting manufacturers to increase automation efforts, expand their sourcing networks, and revise contracts to better manage future risks.
“It isn’t easy for manufacturers to implement a new supply chain strategy when things like tariffs or pandemics disrupt that supply chain,” Baker explains when discussing the complications to long-term planning. “When supply chain strategies can take three to five years to implement, it becomes very difficult for manufacturers to turn that shop and respond quickly, because they’re relying on other manufacturers to provide them with equipment and materials they need locally or to retool their supply chains.”
To build more resilient supply chains, Baker urges plastic manufacturers to plan for potential political and economic volatility and focus on three key steps: strategic preparation, diversification initiatives, and technology integration.