According to thescxchange.com, a Citigroup Inc. study finds that 72% of global corporations identify “releasing trapped liquidity” as their top strategic priority for the next 12 months, up from 66% at the start of 2026.
Supply Chain Disruption Drives Cash Flow Focus
Persistent geopolitical stress—including the conflict in the Middle East—and elevated oil and refined product prices have sustained Citi’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index at its highest level since 2021–2022. Against this backdrop, corporate treasurers are intensifying efforts to extract cash embedded across supply chains, transforming liquidity management into a core resilience strategy.
The report, titled The World Rewired: Shifts in Global Trade and Foreign Direct Investment, draws on proprietary payments data from tens of thousands of corporate clients across every major region, alongside a mid-year 2026 survey of more than 700 large corporates and 150 suppliers. According to the report, 64% of respondents cite identifying how much liquidity is trapped in their supply chains as a critical operational challenge.
Citigroup Inc. emphasizes that shifting trade routes and evolving sourcing relationships are accelerating corporate emphasis on working capital optimization, real-time cash visibility, and liquidity agility—factors now central to financial stability amid recurring disruption.
Liquidity as Resilience Infrastructure
The study positions liquidity extraction not as a short-term treasury tactic but as structural infrastructure: firms leveraging supply chain financing tools to convert receivables, inventory, and payables into actionable cash flow. This shift reflects a broader recalibration where financial resilience is measured by speed and control over cash conversion cycles—not just balance sheet size.
According to the report, the sustained pressure on global logistics flows—driven by tariffs, wars, and regional instability—has made liquidity preservation a non-negotiable component of corporate strategy. The 72% figure represents the highest share recorded for this priority since tracking began, underscoring its institutionalization across finance and operations leadership.
The analysis further notes that while near-term volatility remains high, corporations are embedding liquidity-scanning protocols directly into procurement, logistics, and supplier collaboration workflows—signaling a permanent shift toward integrated financial-supply chain governance.
Source: thescxchange.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
