The rush to exit China is creating a web of new risks:
1. Corruption Hotspots:
-
Vietnam’s “coffee money” demands add 15-20% to project costs
-
Mexican border officials increasingly demanding bribes (up 37% per S&P report)
2. Infrastructure Gaps:
-
Indian ports struggle with 68-hour average container dwell time
-
Thailand’s electrical grid can’t support planned chip fabs
3. ESG Backlash:
-
Bangladesh garment factories face new EU sustainability tariffs
-
Indonesian nickel mines linked to 41 toxic spill incidents
Corporate Fallout:
-
Dell’s $430M write-down on failed India expansion
-
IKEA’s Vietnam deforestation scandal
-
Ford hits brakes on Mexico EVs due to security crisis
Expert Warning:
“Companies are swapping geopolitical risk for operational risk,” says McKinsey’s supply chain lead. “Many haven’t done proper due diligence.”