UK firms mull ‘onshoring’ supply chains to dodge soaring costs

JACK BARNETT

SNAGS in international supply chains lingering on from the Covid-19 pandemic are steering mid-sized businesses toward bringing their production lines back to the UK, a new survey out last night showed. Research by consultancy BDO found just under 50 per cent of the 500 firms they surveyed are considering “onshoring” as much of their operations as possible in the next year.

The move is being driven by 77 per cent of firms running into higher costs throughout their international supply network.

“Onshoring” is the process of moving as much of a business’s supply chains as possiblewithin national borders.

“While the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit have fallen out of the limelight somewhat, the supply chain pressures we’ve seen over the past few years are far from easing,” Ed Dwan, a partner at BDO, said.