{"id":15709,"date":"2026-04-28T13:07:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/in-search-of-stability-in-an-unstable-world\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T13:07:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:07:19","slug":"in-search-of-stability-in-an-unstable-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/in-search-of-stability-in-an-unstable-world\/","title":{"rendered":"In search of stability in an unstable world"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this interview, Samer Al Jabi, TFL interim CEO, explains the complexity of the situation and the real impact of the Gulf conflict on global supplies.<\/p>\n

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Samer Al Jabi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How is the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region currently impacting TFL\u2019s supply chain and operations worldwide?<\/b>
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“We are operating in an increasingly complex global environment. The ongoing conflict in the Gulf region is creating significant and sustained disruptions across logistics routes, energy availability, and raw material supply chains worldwide.
As with many industries, the leather sector relies heavily on interconnected global value chains-from raw material sourcing through to finished products reaching end markets. As a result, procurement conditions, freight flows, and production planning have all become considerably more challenging and less predictable”.<\/p>\n

Are these developments limited to certain regions?<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/span>“Some regions are affected earlier or more strongly, but the impact is global. Recently, we have seen a particularly sharp spike in cost pressure in key sourcing and manufacturing regions such as India. Energy constraints and gas based production limitations there have amplified the situation. However, in an interconnected supply chain, we see the impact affecting our production facilities in all regions”.<\/p>\n

Some observers point to easing crude oil prices. Would that not immediately improve the situation<\/b>?
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“That is a common misconception. Even if energy prices ease temporarily, it does not mean that supply chains will normalize overnight. This situation goes far beyond fluctuations in crude oil and gas prices. The Middle East accounts for roughly 25% of global commodity chemical exports, with the majority of these flows passing through the Strait of Hormuz; a critical chokepoint. What we are seeing is a disruption across the entire value chain: from raw materials and intermediates to production, transportation, and overall availability. Rebuilding inventories, restoring logistics flows, and stabilizing lead times will take months, not weeks”.<\/p>\n

You also mentioned raw material availability. How serious is that issue?<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/span>“It is a very serious concern. The leather industry depends on a wide range of chemicals, many of which have been directly impacted by this crisis. For example, sulphur, urea, and ammonia are essential for beamhouse processes; phenol and other organic ingredients are critical for the wet-end; and acrylics, polyurethanes, and crosslinkers are key components in finishing. Quite simply, you cannot produce a finished leather article without consistent access to these inputs.
At TFL, we are relatively well positioned thanks to our diversified global production footprint and multiple sourcing options for raw materials, which have enabled us to maintain operations so far. However, the situation is becoming more challenging over time, and securing reliable access to these materials is increasingly critical to ensure we can continue to serve our customers effectively”.<\/p>\n

TFL introduced temporary surcharges. Why was that step necessary?<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/span>“We introduced temporary surcharges to ensure continuity of supply. In the current environment, securing critical raw materials often comes at significantly higher costs, and this step was necessary to maintain reliable operations. From the outset, we took a transparent approach with our customers and partners, clearly communicating that these surcharges are strictly linked to specific cost drivers-such as product groups, manufacturing locations, and logistics routes. We also emphasized that this is a temporary measure, which will be reduced or removed as soon as conditions stabilize. We fully understand that surcharges are not welcome and can put pressure on customer relationships. However, acting early and transparently was the responsible decision to safeguard supply reliability. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are working every day with our suppliers and customers to ensure a smooth supply chain. Like everyone else, we hope for a swift resolution to the current challenges”.<\/p>\n

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Interview with TFL interim CEO, Samer Al Jabi, on the impact of the Gulf conflict on global supplies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15712,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[176],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company-news-arstannery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15709\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arsutoriastudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}