In 2025, average US duties on apparel and footwear jumped from 13 percent to 54 percent and still remain above historic norms (Business of Fashion). The impact was immediate: sudden cost spikes, disrupted planning, and stalled improvements to purchasing practices, as reflected in the Better Buying 2025 Garment Industry Scorecard. In 2026, the Hormuz Strait crisis — disrupting oil and fertilizer flows — has added a further layer of cascading risk, compounding pressure on an already strained system.
These shocks haven’t undone the system — they’ve exposed how fragile it always was. Payment terms, price floors, volume commitments, and accurate forecasting are effectively climate and resilience policy: they determine whether suppliers across tiers can invest in efficiency, decarbonization, and worker support. Resilience cannot be built on short-term contracts.
Brands that collaborate closely with suppliers have weathered the disruption best. But what does real partnership look like?
Our multi-stakeholder panel will explore:
- How brands and suppliers can navigate tariff-driven volatility and move from reactive decisions to shared, co-created sourcing strategies
- What credible partnership looks like in practice, including behaviors that improve stability and reduce risk across tiers
- Which changes would most strengthen resilience for 2026 and how both sides can align internally to deliver them
What to expect from this type of session...
Main stage sessions, but not as you know them. Because we’re off-the-record, leading experts can speak candidly about their experience with what works, and what doesn’t. At least half the session is dedicated to audience insights and questions to ensure we tackle the big issues head on.
