Advice for Logistics Decision-Makers Relocating production to the Philippines wasn’t about abandoning China—it was about de-risking and building a logistics system capable of weathering policy, pricing, or port pressure. Here’s what we learned: Global redundancy is now table stakes. If you rely on one country for manufacturing and one port of entry for distribution, you’re one policy change or weather event away from chaos. Redundancy is no longer waste—it’s protection. Treat freight as a brand touchpoint. We don’t just ship product—we deliver a wellness experience. That includes unboxing, lead time, and shelf readiness. Your logistics chain is part of your product promise. Map policy to process. Trade policy changes don’t just aect landed costs—they aect inventory timing, customs behavior, and consumer patience. Model end-to-end impact, not just tari math. Visibility beats velocity. During the first month of the switch, we prioritized real-time visibility over speed. It was better to catch and fix issues than to promise fast delivery and miss it. Our WISMO (Where Is My Order) volume dropped by 18% as a result.
FINAL THOUGHT Global logistics teams are often asked to do the impossible: deliver faster, cheaper, and more exibly, no matter what the world throws at them. But the truth is, with the right foresight, partners, and investments, it is possible to adapt without breaking. For us, the decision to relocate wasn’t easy—but it was essential. It gave us nancial resilience, operational clarity, and customer con dence—all built through the lens of logistics. And in today’s market, that’s not just a competitive edge. It’s survival.
OPERATIONAL CONTINUITY, CUSTOMER TRUST, BIG SAVINGS By early 2025, just as tariffs were fully enacted, we had successfully re-routed more than 70% of our products away from China and through our new Philippine supply chain. We saved $9.8 million in landed cost avoidance, maintained 96% on-time delivery rate during the transition, and avoided any price increases to customers, protecting brand loyalty. And customer support volume actually dropped by 22%—a sign of smooth, reliable ful llment. While many wellness brands faced delays, shortages, or last-minute pivots, Echo delivered. Literally. WHERE WE GO FROM HERE We’re now applying the same playbook to other parts of our network. We’re exploring Eastern European manufacturing for EU orders and evaluating additional U.S.-based warehousing for regional ful llment in 2026. We’re also doubling down on packaging innovation—moving toward lighter, modular systems that reduce freight weight and improve protection in mixed-modal environments. Long-term, our goal is not just to react to disruption—but to be unshakable by it.
About the Author Josh Carr is the CEO of Echo, a hydrogen health technology company delivering advanced wellness products globally. Under his leadership, Echo developed a resilient, globally distributed supply chain serving customers in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at www.echowater.com.
July 2025 • Inbound Logistics 173
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