By: Peter Bouwhuis
Let me tell you something straight up: globalization isn’t over. I hear it everywhere—at conferences, in boardrooms, even at the local pub. People love to say, “We’ve reached the end of globalization.” But come on. That’s just not true. What we’re seeing isn’t the death of global trade—it’s a shift, a correction, a bit of common sense finally kicking in.
I’ve been in project logistics for more than 40 years, as I mentioned many times before, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that supply chains don’t die—they adapt. Just like the rest of us, when the world throws punches, the logistics world ducks, weaves, and finds another way to get the job done.
Same Game, New Rules
Yes, the golden age of chasing the cheapest manufacturing spot on Earth might be behind us. And honestly? Good riddance. That race to the bottom never cared about reliability, political risk, or even ethics most of the time. It was all about price.
But the world woke up. COVID shut down ports. The Suez Canal became a global parking lot. Chips ran out. Wars, sanctions, politics—all became part of the logistics playbook. You’d think someone was scripting this stuff for Netflix.
So now, companies are thinking differently. Not less trade—just smarter trade. We’re seeing a trend toward reshoring, near-shoring, and friend-shoring. In other words, “Let’s not put all our eggs in one far-away basket.”
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Look at the stats. World trade hit $32 trillion in 2023, and is set to top $33 trillion this year. That’s not collapse—that’s growth. Yes, slower growth, more regional, more strategic. But it’s happening. The WTO expects trade volume to rise 2.7% this year, 3% next. Sounds pretty alive to me.
This is what some economists are now calling “slowbalization.” Bit of a silly word, but I like the idea. Trade is still global—it’s just slowed down, taken a breath, and picked its partners more carefully. That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
Made in America (Again)
In the U.S., for example, 244,000 new manufacturing jobs were announced in 2024 alone, and most of that came from reshoring, not foreign investors. That tells you something: companies want control. They want predictability. They’ve had enough of gambling on fragile supply chains.
I’ve been there—on the phone with clients whose critical cargo was stuck halfway around the world because of a surprise export ban or a shipping route suddenly turned into a no-go zone. These days, if you can build it closer to home—or in a country that won’t pull the rug out from under you—you do it.
The Future Is Regional, Not Retired
So, is globalization finished? Not even close. It’s maturing. Becoming more regional, more resilient, and hopefully, more realistic. The romantic version of a totally borderless economy was never built for long-term survival. What we’re heading into now is something better: a system that understands risk, values relationships, and isn’t afraid to pay a little more for peace of mind.
In my world—heavy-lift, project cargo, complex logistics—we can’t afford to play roulette with trade routes. Neither can anyone else anymore. The future is built on partnerships, trust, and flexibility. That’s not the end of globalization. That’s it, growing up.
