According to www.freightwaves.com, tariffs, regulatory shifts, and surging frozen food demand are fundamentally reshaping North American cold supply chains — with 73% of supply chain decision-makers expecting tariffs to continue negatively affecting their finances in 2026.
Cold Chain Disruption Drivers
The Lineage Cold Chain Insights Survey polled 1,000 supply chain decision-makers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It identifies geopolitical uncertainty and policy changes — especially tariffs — as the top external factor driving supply chain instability, ahead of inconsistent partners, climate disruptions, and rising freight and fuel costs.
95% of companies adjusted strategic plans over the past year due to shifting policy landscapes, while 57% reported tariff impacts on 2025 costs were higher than expected. As trade policy remains volatile, food companies are rethinking sourcing, inventory planning, and distribution networks across North America.
Rising Demand Amid Capacity Imbalance
Demand for temperature-controlled logistics is intensifying: 72% of organizations reported rising demand for refrigerated and frozen foods, reflecting evolving consumer behavior. Yet infrastructure growth has outpaced demand — Lineage noted that new cold storage space grew 14.5% from 2021 through 2025, while demand increased only 5%. This imbalance is straining capacity near borders and ports, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada corridors.
Technology Acceleration and Operational Priorities
Technology adoption is now central to cold chain resilience. 60% of respondents ranked data and AI among the top forces transforming operations in 2026, with emphasis on transportation optimization, real-time visibility, AI-driven decision-making, and warehouse automation. Early results show promise: 24% of companies reported exceeding ROI expectations from AI investments; most others said they were meeting or nearing targets.
Shifting Partner Expectations
Food and beverage shippers increasingly rely on third-party logistics providers and cold storage operators for flexibility and transparency. Nearly half (49%) cited flexible storage capacity as their greatest need from cold storage partners, while 41% prioritized better data and analytics to support planning decisions. This reflects broader industry adaptation following post-pandemic inventory drawdowns and a wave of new facility construction.
“Supply chain leaders are operating in an environment where volatility is the norm, not the exception.” — Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO of Lineage
Novi, Michigan-based Lineage operates 500 facilities with 3.1 billion cubic feet of space across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, and offers integrated services including freight forwarding, customs brokerage, drayage, and truck transportation.
Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
