Descartes Study: 39% of High-growth Companies Leverage Trade Compliance as Competitive Advantage
ATLANTA and LONDON, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released findings from its study . The study showed that 39% of fast-growing companies (those expecting greater than 15% growth over the next two years) consider trade compliance to be a competitive advantage and not only a regulatory requirement, compared to 22% of slower-growing companies (those with less than 5% growth expectations).
Furthermore, 57% of companies surveyed believe technology is also very or extremely important for competitive advantage in trade compliance strategies (see Figure 1). This view is even more pronounced in growth businesses versus non-growth companies: 72%, or almost three quarters, of fast-growing companies believe technology is a valuable competitive differentiator, compared to just 41% of businesses predicting shrinking, limited, or no growth.
Figure 1: Importance of technology for competitive advantage in trade compliance strategies
Source: Descartes/SAPIO
The study also revealed that 86% of fast-growing companies indicated technology is fundamental or highly important to growth strategies. Underscoring a strong link between technology, business expansion and trade compliance, 47% of fast-growing companies confirm investing in technology is the top approach to tackling international trade challenges—compared to just 18% of those expecting shrinking, limited, or no growth.
In addition to gaining competitive advantage by leveraging trade compliance and investing in technology, higher-growth companies are focused on building a well-resourced compliance team. The study found that companies with greater than 15% expected growth in the next two years allocate an average of eight people to trade compliance activities, compared to six people in companies anticipating shrinking, limited, or no growth.
“Given the volatility of the current trade landscape, rife with evolving tariffs, trade barriers, sanctions and regulations, effective and efficient global trade compliance is a distinct competitive differentiator,” said Jackson Wood, Director, Industry Strategy at Descartes. “Companies that invest in building their compliance teams view compliance as a strategic advantage. They leverage leading technologies to turn compliance into an engine for growth while creating more resilient supply chain operations.”
Descartes and SAPIO Research surveyed 887 corporate decision makers in international trade compliance and/or supply chain intelligence across Argentina, Benelux, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA. The goal was to understand the strategies, tactics and technologies used by companies involved in international trade to help gain a competitive advantage and ensure continued business growth, and to identify if these varied by factors such as country, industry, company size and business growth. Respondents are members of company leadership teams, from management level to Chief Executive Officer or Owner. To learn more, read the study .
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About Descartes
Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at , and connect with us on and .
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Cara Strohack
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ global trade intelligence solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
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