• Tariff volatility across the US, Europe, and Asia is driving month-to-month routing shifts, pushing shippers and forwarders to diversify corridors and rely on real-time intelligence as cost swings increasingly influence operational decisions.
• Live rate visibility and AI-enabled analysis have become essential, with systems consolidating schedules, performance data, disruption alerts, and pricing into unified interfaces that support rapid decision-making.
• Resilience is now a core competitive benchmark, with operators embedding agility into their models; those able to convert dynamic regulatory and market signals into immediate, confident decisions are best positioned to manage cost and service stability.

With governments in the United States, Europe, and Asia reassessing supply chain dependencies, freight operators are facing frequent cost swings and time-sensitive routing choices that are harder to plan manually.

Tariffs are now influencing routing strategies more frequently and more directly than in previous trade cycles. Instead of adjusting sourcing or network models every few years, companies are reassessing flows month to month. Some are distributing volumes across multiple ports or transshipment hubs to lower exposure to single-lane price shocks.

Archival Garcia, chief executive of routing intelligence firm Fluent Cargo, said tariff shifts have become an operational variable that must be managed in real time. “Tariff uncertainty continues to drive reactive decision-making across the industry,” he said. “Shippers and forwarders are diversifying routes and building contingency plans to avoid exposure to sudden cost spikes.”

Fluent Cargo’s data indicates sharper spot rate volatility across Asia–North America and intra-Asia lanes in periods following trade policy announcements. Garcia noted that rate movements can follow relatively quickly. “Policy shifts and port congestion continue to create volatility across key markets,” he said. “That reinforces why real-time visibility and agile routing are now essential for decision-making.”

Live rate visibility becomes a core requirement

Spot markets for both ocean freight and airfreight have shown greater sensitivity to regulatory developments since 2021, particularly where tariff policies overlap with labour shortages or weather disruptions. A tariff announcement can change routing preferences overnight, while port closures or congestion can shift capacity onto secondary corridors, raising costs and transit times.

The challenge is not access to data but the ability to interpret it quickly. The shift is driving adoption of systems that consolidate vessel schedules, carrier performance histories, disruption alerts, and rate intelligence into a single interface.

Garcia said the advantage of AI-based tools is the ability to connect these data layers. “The real advantage of AI is not just automation, it is the ability to interpret complex, fast-changing data in real time,” he said.

AI becomes a planning and decision support layer

AI-enabled platforms are being used to automate parts of rate comparison, route evaluation, and contingency modelling. Increasingly, the technology is supporting front-line operational staff rather than only senior supply chain planners.

Garcia described this as the shift from data access to decision support. “AI provides speed and precision, but logistics still requires human judgement,” he said. “Combining both allows planners to make faster, smarter decisions — blending algorithmic recommendations with real-world knowledge of carriers, weather, and political risk.”

Resilience becomes a performance benchmark

Tariff policy volatility is expected to continue through upcoming election cycles in major economies. Freight operators are therefore embedding agility into operating models rather than treating tariff risk as temporary.

The consensus is that firms able to translate live operational, regulatory, and market data into rapid decisions will be better positioned to control costs and service levels.

Garcia’s advice to logistics leaders is to align investments with decision-making needs rather than simply acquiring more data feeds. “Invest in intelligence, not just data,” he said. “The companies winning in today’s market are those that can translate complex, shifting information into immediate, confident decisions.”