Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Despite Tariff Turbulence, Most Distributors Haven’t Changed Where They Source — Yet

Years of supply chain disruption haven’t triggered the sourcing pivot many expected. New Baird-MDM survey findings explore why industrial distributors are largely holding steady — and what’s really standing in the way of faster reshoring and nearshoring decisions.

February 5, 2026

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Even amid renewed tariff volatility, geopolitical friction, and a supply chain shock that still looms large in executives’ memories, most industrial distributors and manufacturers have

not materially changed where they source product

— at least not recently. That’s one of the clearest takeaways from the

4Q25 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey

, which asked respondents whether they had ramped sourcing from North American or U.S.-based suppliers within the last three months. Nearly 300 respondents — primarily distributors — weighed in during early January. The results show a striking…

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