GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026
Friendshoring
Friendshoring describes the deliberate relocation of supply chains away from countries perceived as geopolitically risky or unreliable toward nations considered strategically aligned – partners bound by shared values, trade agreements, or security commitments.
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Source: https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2022/04/19/friendshoring-what-why-how
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Logistics Concept
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Definition & Explanation
Friendshoring describes the deliberate relocation of supply chains away from countries perceived as geopolitically risky or unreliable toward nations considered strategically aligned – partners bound by shared values, trade agreements, or security commitments. The term emerged in policy and trade discourse and combines the logic of nearshoring and reshoring with an explicitly political dimension: geographic proximity matters less than political dependability. For freight forwarders and shippers, friendshoring often means accepting higher transport costs or longer lead times in exchange for more stable sourcing. Unlike traditional offshoring, which optimizes for cost, friendshoring trades some efficiency for supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy – a calculated hedging of geopolitical risk.
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