SME

By FedEx | May 21, 2025

Companies in Asia Pacific are turning partnerships into powerful tools for business resilience. Learn how collaboration across supply chains and trade networks helps businesses stay steady in uncertain times.

• Against a backdrop of global trade disruption, collaboration with suppliers, peers, and logistics providers can help build business resilience.
• In Asia Pacific, trade associations and cross-border trade networks provide businesses with valuable access to expertise and regulatory insights. Public-private trade partnerships also empower businesses to influence policy and stay informed about future developments.
• From managing supply chain risks to sharing resources, a smart collaboration strategy can help APAC businesses safeguard their interests.

If you’re a small business facing headwinds, market disruption, and rapid tech transformation, it can often feel like you’re operating on a knife’s edge. In high-stress environments, it doesn’t take much to tip you over. The current global economy is putting pressure on Asia Pacific manufacturers, e-commerce companies, and import-export firms to operate on slim margins. There’s not always much leeway to respond to unforeseen changes.

The last few years have tested the resilience of Asia Pacific businesses almost to the breaking point. From sudden policy U-turns to supply chain breakdowns and the pandemic, businesses have been firefighting on multiple fronts. Difficult market conditions can quickly expose weaknesses in supply chain risk management. They demand faster, more coordinated responses.

Today, smart business continuity strategies highlight collaboration as a true game-changer. Whether it involves swapping insights, supporting each other in navigating trade rules, or sharing resources, collaboration turns mutual support into long-term business survival.

Here are some practical ways to build your collaborative spirit and stay steady in the face of future headwinds.

Build alliances with industry partners and specialists

Collaboration can start close to home. Tap into the suppliers, customers, logistics providers, and peers your business already interacts with. These partnerships form the foundation of resilient supply chains in Asia. By building a safety net around your business, you can catch issues before they turn into crises.

Work with industry peers to pool knowledge and stay ahead of shifting regulations. For example, if regulators announce new duties or export rules, partners within your ecosystem can flag changes, share how they’re responding, and coordinate actions to minimize disruption.

Supplier collaboration is another way businesses can build resilience. According to McKinsey, businesses that work closely with suppliers “demonstrated higher growth, lower operating costs, and greater profitability than their industry peers.”

This might include collaborating on demand forecasts, jointly developing supply chain risk management strategies, or coordinating raw material purchases. These efforts go beyond improving efficiency. They build mutual resilience.

Don’t overlook the value of third-party partners, either. Subject matter experts are equipped with the insights needed to help you overcome challenges. Turn to trusted freight forwarders, customs brokers, trade compliance consultants, and even tech platforms and software vendors for current, actionable guidance grounded in their areas of expertise.

For example, FedEx’s Trade Solutions service offers businesses a suite of customized solutions to help resolve complex customs, security, and compliance issues. These include personalized advice from experienced trade specialists tailored to your specific trade needs, import and export assistance, and support in identifying opportunities to recover overpaid duties and taxes.

Join trade associations and cross-border networks

Beyond direct peer-to-peer partnerships, businesses can strengthen resilience by joining regional trade bodies. Industry associations, chambers of commerce, and cross-border trade networks enable businesses to “talk shop” with those in the know. You can share experiences, stay updated on regulatory changes, and even influence policy.

Consider APAC trade associations relevant to your specific business sector. Think of them as information-sharing hubs, where members get exclusive access to timely, collective expertise. Many trade associations provide regular briefings on new tariffs, customs regulations, or tax rules.

Some also conduct workshops to share best practices for reducing compliance risks. Look for relevant industry roundtables and summits to join, both on and offline. Here’s a top tip: Assign someone in your organization to serve as a compliance manager, responsible for building and maintaining relationships with these associations.

Cross-border bodies and forums provide another valuable space for collaboration. Organizations like the APEC Business Advisory Council, ASEAN Chambers, and Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF) host discussions that help resolve common trade issues across markets.

Regulators often attend these events, giving private-sector businesses a platform to share important perspectives and influence decision-making. Collective advocacy can lead to mutually beneficial trade facilitation improvements (such as higher de minimis customs thresholds or streamlined export documentation) that benefit all participants.

Make the most of your attendance by participating in the working groups. By grabbing a seat at the table, you’ll be better positioned to advocate for simpler customs procedures and harmonized rules.

Engage in public-private cooperative action

Cross-border trade networks provide one way to engage with the public sector – but sometimes, it helps to work with them directly. Customs agencies, trade ministries, and international organizations periodically work with the business community to co-create policies that make cross-border trade more efficient and crisis-resilient.

For example, “trusted trader” programs like the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) or the US Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) reward companies that go above and beyond in compliance, offering benefits like faster customs clearance, reduced inspections, and simplified documentation requirements. Members of these programs can keep shipments moving even during disruptions, avoiding bottlenecks that may be impacting the industry.

Businesses can also shape the regulatory landscape by taking part in national trade facilitation committees, which many APAC countries have established under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. These committees give policymakers and businesses a platform to exchange views on trade barriers and recommend improvements.

Contributing your front-line industry knowledge to these conversations can help your company anticipate policy changes and influence them before they’re finalized – reducing the risk of future disruption.

Finally, when major disruption hits, public-private task forces offer a fast-moving platform for collective action. During COVID-19, for instance, Singapore’s Emerging Stronger Taskforce brought together government leaders and business representatives to co-develop strategies for recovery.

Beyond having a say in solving urgent challenges, joining task forces builds long-term relationships and trust – assets that can be activated when the next crisis arises.

You can’t deal with disruption alone

Business resilience in APAC can’t be achieved in isolation. In the face of near-daily disruption, maintaining resilient supply chains in Asia calls for intensive, ongoing collaboration with peers, partners, and the public sector.

At FedEx, we understand your need for resilience, and we’re here to help. Our end-to-end support for customers includes FedEx Trade Solutions, which helps you stay ahead of disruption with practical and personalized guidance across compliance, documentation, and trade planning.

By collaborating with the right partners, your business will not only survive, but thrive – no matter what storm arises.