There was a bewildering number of geopolitical shifts that impacted the business environment in 2025. In our view, noting recent events in Venezuela, it’s not going to be too much different in 2026.
As these myriad factors come together, we'll be looking at them through the lens of corridors, contests and then what it all means for us.
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Corridors will be very much front of mind for businesses - in terms of trade, technology and supply chains. How these corridors continue to evolve from a risks and opportunities standpoint will be closely watched.
Contests abroad, including great-power competition between economies like the United States and China, and over economic and resource security, will also determine much of the outlook.
The direction of that relationship, and all its dealmaking and decoupling, will be a critical factor for the outlook, particularly for third countries and how they adapt.
In our view
ANZ has experts based in close to 30 markets in the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe. Our new series, In our view, aims to bring that expertise directly to you, providing the ideas you need to succeed in your area of business in an era of uncertainty and opportunity.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing forward-looking insights into themes such as the macroeconomy, digitisation, and shifting realities of trade, helping businesses position themselves to take advantage of these trends.
Be sure to follow ANZ Institutional on LinkedIn to stay up to date.
These are the themes that will matter for Australia, New Zealand and international and domestic businesses in 2026.
Cameron Mitchell is Head of Geopolitical Risk at ANZ
