Euro outlook: Bertschi adjusts to chemical supply chain ‘volatility’

Swiss chemical transportation and logistics company Bertschi Group reports it posted “steady” revenues of $1.18 billion (CHF 1.02 billion) in 2025 by navigating the “new normal” of industrial stagnation in Europe, and increasingly shifting trade flows toward the Americas and Asia.

Tariff and regulatory uncertainties stayed on management’s radar throughout the year, Bertschi said, and repeatedly influenced customer decisions, procurement timing, and cross-border planning. Simultaneously, the European chemical industry’s downturn continued, with plant closures across the value chain reducing production in certain regions, forcing Bertschi to anticipate impending “trade redirections” and respond with “flexible” execution.

“Volatility has become a permanent feature of our industry,” Bertschi Group CEO Jan Arnet said in a news release. “Our job is to keep customers’ supply chains running reliably by managing the operational and compliance work in one integrated service backed by our infrastructure and expertise.”

Proactive response to trade flows

As European chemical production stagnated, volumes from Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas gained weight in specific product segments, the company shared. Bertschi is positioning itself to support this reality through scalable hub infrastructure and end-to-end supply chain services. The group’s strategy is built around being able to store, handle, heat, sample, clear customs, and distribute chemical products, especially in and around key import regions in Europe and Asia. “It is our responsibility to detect these shifts in global trade early and provide customers with secure logistics routes, even when the market reorganizes itself,” said Hans-Jörg Bertschi, Bertschi chairman.

Bertschi’s objective for 2026 is to expand relationships with chemical producers.

Strengthening European distribution

In 2025, the company continued to build capacity close to major ports and industrial clusters.

The Antwerp Zomerweg Terminal (AZT) is a key part of the group’s European investment agenda, the company reported. Designed for modern, integrated chemical logistics, the terminal brings together container storage, particularly for dangerous goods (DG), plus value-added services of customs solutions, heating, and trimodal connectivity. In Rotterdam, Bertschi completed an extension that strengthens throughput, handling, and DG storage capacities of the trimodal terminal and supports growing supply chain activities. The group’s footprint in Antwerp and Rotterdam reinforces its position in Europe’s leading chemical clusters, enabling customers to scale storage and distribution with predictable processes.

Bertschi also acquired land in Middlesbrough, creating room for further expansion of the U.K. storage and distribution hub in a market where logistical needs in the chemical segment continue to evolve. “The U.K. market remains strategically important as global supply chains adapt to structural shifts in sourcing and production,” the company stated.

Global network expansion

To balance the sluggish European market, Bertschi is following the manufacturing shift toward North America and Asia.

Of particular interest to U.S. stakeholders is the establishment of operations in Mexico. The move places Bertschi at the heart of an “increasingly relevant” chemical trade corridor connecting North and Central America to global supply chains. “The aim is to provide customers with local expertise and a direct link to the group’s global door-to-door service concepts,” Arnet explained.

In Asia, the group deepened its footprint in Taiwan, Singapore, and China, scaling its ISO tank heating and DG warehousing capabilities to support the continued migration of production capacity to the East.

Challenges to extend into 2026

Bertschi expects challenging market conditions, with overcapacities and cost pressures, to continue in 2026, the company said.

Against this backdrop, Bertschi aims to strengthen customer service with proactive communication; and make “selective” investments in infrastructure, equipment, and digital capabilities that improve reliability and scalability, while maintaining safety standards. “Our customers want lower emissions, and they also want reliable arrival times,” Arnet concluded. “The next step is to make intermodal transport more predictable again.

“That’s where we’ll be putting a lot of energy in 2026.”