Logistics in friendshoring: Competitive edge and geopolitical risks

Tóm tắt

In the context of rising geopolitical frictions and fragmented supply chains, this paper examines the state of friendshoring and evaluates how logistics is used as a geoeconomic competitive instrument. Using a qualitative approach, the study develops a five-dimension framework covering infrastructure upgrading, strategic corridors, logistics digitalization and transparency, policy alignment with conditional FDI, and chokepoint control to analyze these strategies. The findings show that friendshoring is consolidating around North America, the EU, and ASEAN. Logistics now functions both as an efficiency driver and a geopolitical instrument, while generating new risks such as network fragmentation, politicized nodes, and overreliance on critical corridors. Policy implications for emerging economies include prioritizing large-scale multimodal infrastructure, accelerating end-to-end digitalization, tying FDI incentives to logistics capability upgrading, and strengthening trusted regional corridor partnerships.