Only 41 percent of companies surveyed are considered to have "mature" supply chain risk management processes, but nearly four in five mitigate against disruptions by implementing a dual sourcing strategy, according to a recent report.

Companies are increasingly connecting the dots between risk management and sustainability by making sustainability issues more prominent on corporate agendas, says a study by Ernst & Young LLP and GreenBiz. Driven by trends such as extreme weather events and risks to natural resources, among other factors, the shift is evidenced by the increasing involvement in sustainability-related issues of shareholders and the C-suite. At the same time, the study finds, companies are not adequately aligning risk response to the scale of sustainability challenges.

A new reform-minded government, a stable economy and sound infrastructure are among the factors combining to make Mexico a good market for logistics operations, says Eric Markeset, who is based in Mexico City as principal of consulting firm Tsol.

For years developing countries have been thrice blessed. First, near-zero interest rates in the U.S. drove investors into bourses from Mumbai to Mexico as they searched for higher returns. Next, China emerged as the trading partner of choice as it gobbled up Indonesian palm oil, Cambodian hardwoods, and Brazilian iron ore. Finally, with the exception of the Middle East, the politics of most emerging-market countries were stable. The blessings have run out.