Authors : Obadina A Babatunde

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2s3bz6m4

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/bdh8xtjk

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul1232

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Chemical raw materials, the backbone of today's manufacturing, ranging from polymers and resins to solvents, pigments, and specialty chemicals, have emerged as one of the most vulnerable nodes in industrial supply chains worldwide. Multiple disruptions caused by pandemics, geopolitical tensions, climate events, and trade fragmentation have transformed the procurement process from a basic operational task into a key driver of manufacturing resiliency. Pandemics, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and trade fragmentation have created multiple disruptions that have turned procurement into a strategic determinant of the continuity of manufacturing. This paper explores the idea of supplier diversification and strategic sourcing as complementary solutions for chemical raw material supply risk. Using peer-reviewed supply chain management literature and industry information, the paper summarizes the theoretical underpinnings of sourcing risk management, examines the mechanisms by which diversified supplier networks are able to enhance supply chain resilience, and analyzes the strategic sourcing frameworks implemented by prominent chemical companies. The paper also reflects the specific characteristics of manufacturing sectors of import-dependent developing economies and the respective foreign exchange and infrastructural requirements that are associated with raw material procurement. Results show that diversification is not enough and that additional investments in supplier relationship management, digital visibility tools, and sustainability-oriented selection criteria are needed. The paper concludes with a series of ideas for the practice of procurement and supply chain managers who are looking to achieve cost reduction and continuity of supply in an increasingly volatile market of chemical raw materials.

Keywords : Supplier Diversification, Strategic Sourcing, Chemical Raw Materials, Supply Chain Resilience, Procurement, Manufacturing Sector.

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