The SupplyChainBrain Podcast Raw Materials: The Biggest Breaking Point in Global Supply Chains
Feb 27, 2026
Amy Julian, a strategy and transformation partner at Armanino who advises manufacturers on resilience and sourcing, breaks down raw-material chokepoints. She discusses tariffs and sourcing shifts. She explains why firms accept single-source risk and the limits of diversifying rare earths. She outlines three practical resilience levers, warns about illusory backup capacity, and highlights AI for risk monitoring.
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Episode notes
Resiliency Must Be A Conscious Business Choice
- Resiliency Is A Business Decision and cannot eliminate all risk.
- Companies must choose which risks to accept because mitigating every risk incurs cost, quality issues, or other trade-offs, per Amy Julian.
China Dominance Limits Short Term Diversification
- China Dominates Certain Critical Materials and immediate alternatives are limited.
- Investments in recycling and new geographic supply take years, so short-term substitution is often unavailable, Amy Julian warns.
Adopt Three Practical Pillars For Resilience
- Use three resilience pillars: decide acceptable risk, diversify supplier optionality, and preserve actionable options.
- Examples include R&D to reduce material use, lobbying, alternative suppliers, or stocking up based on business impact.