Turning trade disruption into opportunities for professional services firms
At PrimeGlobal’s World Summit in Bangkok, discussions centered on the impact of trade disruption and tariffs on businesses, and how professional services firms can help their clients navigate this increasingly complex landscape. Blair Lucas and Hugh Darwell, executives at Acclime, share their key takeaways from the event.
The resurgence of US tariff policies has created one of the most significant shifts in global trade patterns in recent years, but for professional service firms with the right perspective, this disruption represents a wealth of advisory opportunities.
At the World Summit in Bangkok, leaders from across the PrimeGlobal network agreed that while tariffs create immediate challenges for manufacturers and exporters, they’re simultaneously driving demand for sophisticated cross-border advisory services that professional services firms are uniquely positioned to provide.
The Scale of Change
In 2024, ASEAN nations exported $350 billion worth of goods to the United States, with Vietnam alone accounting for $140 billion. When new tariffs were imposed, these exports faced immediate pricing pressures that threatened entire supply chains. The ASEAN-6 stock market index dropped 13% in the first nine months of 2025, reflecting investor concerns about profitability.
However, ASEAN countries responded pragmatically. Cambodia exemplifies this approach: facing potential tariffs on $10 billion in exports while only importing $400 million from the US, the government strategically eliminated most import tariffs, helping reduce its tariff rate from 46% to 19%.
The China Plus One Acceleration
While US-China trade tensions began years ago, current tariffs have accelerated the ‘China Plus One’ strategy, establishing parallel production facilities across Southeast Asia. Chinese inputs into ASEAN manufacturing jumped from 15% in 2012 to 30% by 2024.
Manufacturing clients are now establishing facilities in Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, building resilient supply chains that can withstand future disruptions from trade policy, pandemics, or geopolitical tensions.
Where consulting Firms Add Value
The advisory opportunities are multifaceted. Clients need feasibility and market entry analysis covering labor availability, tax benefits, land costs, and regulatory environments across multiple jurisdictions – requiring exactly the local expertise combined with global coordination that professional service networks offer.
Compliance and documentation support has become critical. US customs officials are scrutinizing component sourcing with unprecedented rigor. One Vietnamese manufacturer faced a six-week battle with customs before goods were released. The cost isn’t just potential tariffs, it’s working capital tied up in ports, delivery delays that erode customer confidence, and administrative burden.
Rules of origin navigation presents another challenge. The definition of ‘substantial alteration’ remains frustratingly vague. When does assembly become manufacturing? If 70% of components originate in China but final assembly occurs in Vietnam, how will US authorities classify the product? Clients need expert guidance to navigate this ambiguity.
The Opportunity Mindset
Firms that position tariff challenges as pure cost centers will miss the broader opportunity. Yes, clients face margin compression and pricing pressures. But they’re also gaining diversified manufacturing capabilities and reduced supply chain risk. Foreign direct investment into ASEAN reached $225 billion in 2024, the highest on record.
Professional service firms should approach conversations from an opportunity perspective: How can diversification strengthen your business beyond tariff mitigation? What new markets become accessible with regional manufacturing presence?
The structural nature of current tariff policies means diversification strategies companies implement now will persist. Manufacturing facilities established today won’t be abandoned if tariffs decrease. And crucially, tariffs are unlikely to be substantially altered under the next US administration, as evidenced by the Biden administration keeping China tariffs imposed under the first Trump Presidency.
Advisory relationships built to navigate this transition will create long-term client engagement opportunities for firms that position themselves effectively now.
About the authors: Blair Lucas is Chief Commercial Officer at Acclime, where Hugh Darwell is Head of Strategic Partnerships.
