Global shippers are going through the most turbulent period in decades due to rapidly changing policies affecting international trade. According to a Yahoo Finance report, Patrick Frith, chief growth and cross-border manager at Avalara, stated that the last ten months of 2025 have been the most turbulent and chaotic time of his career in cross-border logistics.
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“I can tell you what’s happened in the last ten months has been the most chaotic and turbulent of my career in the cross country,” Frith said. The period of disruption began in February as the administration of US President Donald Trump set the stage with concerns about fentanyl, illegal immigration at the southern border and counterfeit goods. This was followed by a series of tariff announcements, trade negotiations and policy changes.
Frith described the situation as “Brexit on steroids”, noting that changes are happening every day and that implementations are happening in days rather than years. “Things are changing every day,” he said. “Deadlines are looming, and performances are happening not in years, but in days.” While Brexit unfolded over almost three years with clear metrics, the 2025 tariff situation has been unpredictable and companies have had little time to prepare.
“With Brexit, there were a few delays along the way, but everyone was ready,” Frith said. And even then, on the day of the performance, there was still a bit of chaos. In contrast, the changes in 2025 will be announced and implemented within days or sometimes hours.
The cascade of trade measures began in earnest in March, when China was targeted with punitive duties. This was followed on April 2 by retaliatory tariffs on 51 countries during a Rose Garden event. Trade talks then began, with the UK first signing a deal as Prime Minister Stormer attended the G7 summit in Canada.
Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform
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