Two in five businesses expect trade disruption cover to lead demand

The survey gathered 107 responses from industry participants.

Businesses are expected to increase demand for supply chain insurance as geopolitical tensions disrupt trade routes and day-to-day operations, according to GlobalData.

A GlobalData poll conducted on Verdict Media sites in the second quarter of 2026 found that 41.1% of respondents expected supply chain insurance to see the strongest increase in demand because of geopolitical risks. 

Cyber insurance ranked second, cited by 20.6% of respondents. The poll received 107 responses from industry participants.

GlobalData said businesses are increasingly focused on protecting themselves against indirect disruption rather than only covering physical assets. 

Concerns include blocked trade routes, state-backed cyberattacks and revenue losses that can spread across wider operations.

Beatriz Benito, lead insurance analyst at GlobalData, said companies were particularly concerned about maintaining business continuity as geopolitical risks become more difficult to manage.

Conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe have added pressure to international shipping, including through disruptions affecting routes such as the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz. 

Companies have responded by rerouting shipments and considering alternative maritime corridors.

Trade networks are also facing pressure from changes in US trade policy, including tariffs, export restrictions and sanctions.

GlobalData said insurers are finding it difficult to keep pace with the changing risk environment. 

Whilst demand for cover is increasing, some insurers are reducing capacity or withdrawing products because they consider some geopolitical risks difficult to price.

Benito said insurers willing to remain in the market may need to tighten policy wording and exclusions linked to tariffs and sanctions, whilst stress-testing products against large losses from a single event.

She added that real-time geospatial tracking is increasingly being used to assess risks and support underwriting decisions.