From fires and floods to shifting regulations and extreme weather, general manufacturing faced a volatile third quarter. While the industry continues to push toward greater resilience, new data from Resilinc shows that core manufacturing supply chain disruptions are not slowing down, they’re simply changing shape.
Drawing from Resilinc’s EventWatchAI platform, which monitors over 400 types of supply chain disruptions globally, Q3 2025 saw a mix of long-standing threats and emerging risk categories. Some disruptions are declining, while others are accelerating, but all carry the potential to cause delays, increase costs, or halt production altogether.
In this blog, we break down the top five disruptions to general manufacturing supply chains in Q3 2025, based on disruption alert volumes.
Quick stats: Q3 2025 general manufacturing disruption trends
- Factory fires remain the #1 disruption, with 253 alerts in Q3
- Extreme weather surged to #2, up 41% YoY
- Factory disruptions ranked third at 183 alerts
- Flood events more than doubled YoY to 169
- Regulatory change climbed to #5, reflecting increased policy activity
The top 5 general manufacturing supply chain disruptions of Q3 2025
#1: Factory fires remain the leading disruption
Despite a 32% YoY decrease, factory fires held their position as the top disruption type in Q3 with 253 alerts. This marks the third consecutive quarter where factory fires have ranked highest among general manufacturing events.
The decline suggests improved safety protocols and monitoring, yet factory fires continue to disrupt operations, especially when sole-source suppliers or critical component sites are affected. With consequences ranging from full shutdowns to long recovery timelines, the threat remains significant.
#2: Extreme weather moves up the risk ladder
With 203 alerts, extreme weather jumped to the second most common disruption in Q3, up from fourth place last year. That is a 41% increase YoY, as storms, heat waves, and wildfires intensified across key industrial regions.
These weather events not only cause physical damage but also delay logistics, limit worker access, and disrupt supplier output. Manufacturers in climate-prone geographies are now factoring weather volatility into everyday planning and risk models.
#3: Factory disruptions beyond fires
Beyond fires, other types of factory-level disruptions, including equipment failure, quality issues, and site closures, ranked third overall, with 183 alerts this quarter.
These disruptions, while often less visible than fires, carry just as much impact. In many cases, they stem from aging infrastructure, labor shortages, or production inefficiencies. The trend highlights the importance of predictive maintenance and supplier performance visibility.
#4: Floods surge 82% YoY
Flood events nearly doubled, rising from 93 alerts in Q3 2024 to 169 in Q3 2025. This surge reflects broader climate instability, with record rainfall and flash flooding impacting facilities in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
Flooding disrupts both production and transit, and its sudden onset makes mitigation difficult without robust advance planning. Many manufacturers are now using predictive flood risk tools to identify at-risk suppliers before disaster strikes—an essential step toward building supply chain resiliency.
#5: Regulatory change pressures continue to mount
Regulatory disruption alerts reached 133 in Q3, a significant jump from 88 last year, placing regulatory change in the top five for the first time.
The increase was driven by major policy moves, including the U.S.’s proposed 155% tariff on Chinese imports, new environmental mandates in the EU, and shifts in labor law enforcement across global markets. These changes often require rapid response: revalidating suppliers, adjusting sourcing strategies, and realigning compliance programs.
Final take: A disruption landscape in transition
While familiar threats like fires persist, the rise of climate events and regulatory shifts signal a broader transformation in the manufacturing risk landscape. The top five manufacturing supply chain disruptions this quarter reflect both internal vulnerabilities and external pressures that now shape supply chain performance.
To stay resilient, manufacturers must prioritize real-time risk monitoring, supplier visibility down to the part-site level, and scenario planning for fast-moving regulatory changes.
Prepare your manufacturing supply chain resiliency for 2026
Q3 2025 made one thing clear: the general manufacturing risk landscape is changing—and fast. From climate volatility and factory-level threats to fast-evolving regulatory requirements, supply chains are being tested across every tier.
Now is the time to move from reactive to proactive. Resilinc’s latest special report on Manufacturing Supply Chain Challenges in Q3 2025 provides a deep look at the trends shaping manufacturing today, with expert insights, year-over-year analysis, and strategic recommendations to help manufacturers build supply chain resiliency heading into 2026.
Want to see what is really driving disruption in your industry? Download the full report to explore:
- A detailed breakdown of the top 10 disruption types
- YoY comparisons across Q3 2022–2025
- Insights on flood risk, power instability, and regulatory shifts
- Strategies for supplier visibility and risk mitigation
A more resilient supply chain starts with better intelligence. It’s time to take the next step toward proactive supply chain risk management.
