U.S. businesses hedging their bets on North American trade as tariffs and trade disputes show no signs of abating

New report from Livingston International shows importers and exporters are optimistic trade environment will improve but actively reconfiguring supply chains in response to disruption 

• 43% see recent non-renewal of USMCA as a positive influence on the trade environment and only 34% see the trade deal itself as a reason to be confident about the North American trading environment.
• The majority of importers (84%) are looking to source imports from different countries or regions outside of North America.
• Almost two-thirds (62%) are passing some or all of the cost of tariffs down to their consumers.

CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. importers and exporters are overwhelming shifting their supply chains in response to tariffs and other trade disruptors that have emerged since early 2025 while remaining fairly optimistic about the stability of trade in North America.

According to Livingston's 2026 Trade Dynamics Report, a recent study by Environics Research commissioned by customs broker and trade consultancy Livingston International, 92% of U.S. importers and exporters are confident in the stability of the North American trade environment. However, beneath the buoyant veneer, there is active movement to guard against future trade disruption with supply chain shifts.

These include sourcing from other markets and looking for new global markets to sell their wares. More than four-fifths (84% of importers) intend to nearshore production from outside of North America while 71% intend to offshore production to alternative sourcing markets outside of North America.

• 72% are looking to reshore production from Canada and/or Mexico to the U.S.
• 49% are looking to Central and South America as alternative sources of supply.
• 77% of U.S. businesses are looking at countries in Asia (China, Japan, India, Vietnam, South Korea and others) as alternative export markets in the face of trade disruption.

"U.S. businesses are looking at their supply chains strategically and identifying which parts of their production process it makes most sense to reshore or near-shore, and which to offshore," said Robert Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Livingston International. "They're not abandoning trade in North America but they're re-evaluating what that looks like in what seems to be a persistent state of disruption across the continent."

While the vast majority (90%) of U.S. importers and exporters use the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade deal and the general harmonization and integration of North American trade is no longer seen as valuable is it once was.

• Only 34% of U.S. businesses cite the existence of the USMCA as a reason to be confident in the stability of the North American trading environment.
• Only four-in-ten businesses (38%) cite strong integration of North American supply chains and a strong regional economy as positive influences on the stability of the North American trade environment.
• Almost eight in 10 (77%) say they will pause investment in North American supply chains until there is more stability.

Tariffs and other disruptors have forced many businesses to be less profitable and/or price competitive as the majority (62%) are passing the cost of tariffs down to consumers with only 17% absorbing all the cost. In addition, 77% of businesses report their operations are struggling to keep up with the pace of change and are unable to validate whether they are fully compliant with recent changes to trade and tariff policies.

"The uncertainty importers and exporters have around being compliant is directly tied to their ability to keep pace with the changes taking place and find the talent or outside support to help them navigate all the disruption," said David MacDonald, Group Vice President, Financial Services, Environics Research.

Between 68% and 75% of U.S. importers are challenged in:

• Finding talent and expertise to understand the changes and what's required of them
• Keeping up with the pace of change in trade policy
• Harnessing technology to automate trade compliance

The research polled companies in the U.S. and Canada across 12 industries in an online survey conducted between August 20^th and September 9^th, 2026. 

For more details, download Livingston's 2026 Trade Dynamics Report.

About Livingston International

Livingston International has served as a trusted trade adviser to businesses around the world for 80 years. It specializes in customs brokerage and trade compliance, and offers international trade consulting, global trade management and freight forwarding. Livingston provides clarity in a world of trade complexity, and reliability in times of volatility, so businesses can grow further, smarter and with confidence. Livingston employs approximately 2,700 associates at key border points, sea ports, airports and other strategic locations across North America, Europe and Asia. To learn more about Livingston, visit www.livingston.com.

Livingston media contact:
Dan Ovsey, 647-267-3973, Director, Public Relations & Marketing Communications, [email protected]

SOURCE Livingston International Inc.