Bangkok Shipowners and Agent Association

Supply chain managers in North America, Europe and Asia by a wide margin worry that increasing trade protectionism could push the global recession into a global depression, according to a survey by BDP International, a Philadelphia-based supply chain management company.

According to BDP, 80 percent of survey respondents expressed concern the adverse effects of nations' protectionist policies, resulting in a significant drop in export activity within their own companies.

Richard J. Bolte, BDP chief executive, said that 17 G20 countries and others had put 50 protectionist trade measures in place since November 2008. Their actions have "dramatic implications for global supply chains.

By a margin of 81 percent, logistics executives also said that their top near-term priority was re-evaluating and lowering their transportation costs, according to the survey.

Managers would be making "cost-based choices" between truck, rail and water for domestic transportation, and air or ocean carriers for international shipments. They also said they intended to re-negotiate transportation contracts that were no more than a few months old, to reflect current supply-and-demand conditions, BDP said.

BDP sent online surveys to 596 supply chain or logistics executives. Fifty-eight responded for a sample of 9.7 percent. Most respondents were in the chemical industry, 62.2 percent, 12.1 percent from diversified industrial companies, and 10.3 percent from retailers.

BDP said that 75 percent of respondents expected the current recession to last no more than another 12 months.