New Trade Tool Helps Small Businesses Navigate Tariffs, Supply Chain Risks
Issued by the APEC Secretariat
The APEC Business Advisory Council’s Supply Chain Resilience Toolkit presents firms with a series of questions that can help them to assess their strengths and gaps across five areas (flexibility, visibility, connectivity, robustness and redundancy). It will then provide a resilience score and practical recommendations, from diversifying suppliers to strengthening trade compliance.
“Supply chain resilience matters most when it reaches the businesses moving goods across borders,” said Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat. “This toolkit is trade facilitation in practice, making it easier for small businesses to trade with more confidence.”
The update comes as pressure on global supply chain pressure remains elevated. First developed following widespread supply chain disruptions in the early 2020s, the toolkit has since been used by more than 2,850 businesses regionwide.
“This toolkit gives businesses a practical way to identify supply chain risks and vulnerabilities early to strategically plan ahead and build resilience,” said Li Fanrong, 2026 Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council. “It is a clear example of ABAC and APEC bridging policy and the practical needs of businesses on the ground.”
The toolkit now also includes an artificial intelligence-enabled tariff tool, designed to help businesses navigate increasingly complex trade requirements. For smaller firms without dedicated trade specialists, the additional guidance can help reduce the time and resources needed to understand the costs and requirements of moving goods across borders.
“Building resilience requires more than reacting to disruption. It means developing greater flexibility, visibility and preparedness across the supply chain. We hope this upgraded toolkit helps MSMEs identify opportunities to strengthen their operations, manage risk and pursue growth with greater confidence.” added Shiumei Lin, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, UPS Asia Pacific Region.
Led by ABAC China and ABAC United States, the update draws on contributions from businesses and organizations including UPS, Johnson & Johnson, Access Partnership, the National Center for APEC and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
The toolkit has also been expanded to seven languages, including English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Thai, to make its guidance more accessible to businesses across the region.
“Providing such tools for more small businesses in more languages is an excellent example of the kinds of practical deliverables that APEC and ABAC can provide through regional cooperation,” noted Monica Hardy Whaley, President of National Center for APEC, another key contributor.
The toolkit is hosted on the National Center for APEC website and available globally at no cost, with web and WeChat access for businesses.
