Citi report reveals global shift toward supply chain liquidity

Insider Spotlight

• Liquidity takes priority as 72 percent of global corporations identify unlocking trapped cash as their leading strategic objective
• AI adoption accelerates with 45 percent of companies now using artificial intelligence in trade operations, nearly tripling since 2024
• Global trade remains resilient as Citi reports a 40 percent increase in payment flows despite geopolitical tensions and shifting supply chains
  
  
  
  

Global corporations are increasingly prioritizing liquidity, working capital efficiency and digital transformation as geopolitical tensions, rising costs and shifting trade routes reshape international commerce, according to a new Citi report.

The report, The World Rewired: Shifts in Global Trade and Foreign Direct Investment, published by Citi Institute and Citi Services, found that 72 percent of corporations consider releasing trapped liquidity their top priority over the next 12 months, up from 66 percent earlier in 2026.

Why it matters

Companies are shifting their focus from supply chain diversification toward unlocking cash tied up in operations to strengthen financial resilience.

"For several years the conversation was dominated by resilience through diversification," Citi Services global head of trade and working capital solutions Adoniro Cestari said in a statement.

"Companies diversified their supplier base and redesigned sourcing strategies to strengthen their operations. Now treasury teams are turning to a related question: where is our cash sitting, and how quickly can it be put to work?"

Adoniro Cestari

Citi Services global head of trade and working capital solutions

By the numbers

Citi's payment data showed global flows increasing 40 percent year-on-year during the first half of 2026, with technology-related payments climbing 50 percent.

Asia and Latin America recorded technology payment growth of 60 percent and 58 percent, respectively, reflecting expanding investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Meanwhile, 68 percent of corporations identified rising input costs as a major working capital concern, while 59 percent cited elevated interest rates.

Digital transformation accelerates

Artificial intelligence adoption in trade operations surged from 16 percent in 2024 to 45 percent in 2026.

Nearly half of surveyed corporations are also evaluating blockchain and distributed ledger technologies to improve financial visibility and efficiency.

The bigger picture

Trade routes are evolving rather than disappearing, with companies increasingly diversifying markets while strengthening cash management.

The findings draw on Citi's global payments network and surveys involving more than 700 large corporations and 150 suppliers.

The report underscores how treasury management, digital innovation and liquidity optimization are becoming central to corporate competitiveness amid persistent global uncertainty. —Ramon C. Nocon | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma