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What happens when geopolitical disruption moves beyond the headlines and starts to affect the contracts, supply chains and commercial relationships businesses rely on? In this episode of View from Asia, Mallesons partner Amanda Lees and International Director David Olsson AM explore how businesses are navigating increasing geopolitical and commercial uncertainty across Asia. They discuss how force majeure works, what prolonged disruption means for contracts and supply chains, and why trusted relationships and local knowledge can be critical to finding practical solutions.

The past four months tested something that is difficult to assess in stable conditions: whether organisations operating across Asia have genuine capability, or whether they have presence and assumed it would be enough. The Hormuz disruption exposed that gap - not universally, but unevenly, and in ways that had less to do with resources or intent, than with what had already been built.

Vietnam is among Southeast Asia’s fastest growing markets. Through a combination of economic reforms and favourable global trends – including trade liberalisation, shifting supply chains and growing foreign investment - Vietnam transformed from a low-income economy to a dynamic middle-income nation within a single generation.