Global shippers are navigating the most turbulent period in decades due to rapid policy shifts affecting international trade. According to Yahoo Finance, Patrick Frith, senior director of growth and cross-border at Avalara, stated that the last ten months of 2025 have been the most chaotic and turbulent time of his career in cross-border logistics.
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“I can tell you whats happened in the last ten months has been the most chaotic, turbulent time of my career in cross-border,” Frith said. The period of disruption began in February when the administration of President of the United States Donald Trump set the stage with concerns about fentanyl, illegal immigration on the Southern border, and counterfeit goods. This was followed by a sequence of tariff announcements, trade negotiations, and policy reversals.
Frith described the situation as “Brexit on steroids,” noting that changes are happening every day with implementations occurring in days instead of years. “Things are changing every day. Deadlines are up and implementations are happening not in years, but in days,” he said. While Brexit unfolded over approximately three years with clear benchmarks, the 2025 tariff situation has been unpredictable, with companies having little time to prepare.
“With Brexit, there were a few delays along the way, but everyone was prepared,” Frith said. “And even then, on the day of implementation, there was still a bit of chaos.” In contrast, changes in 2025 are being announced and implemented within days or sometimes hours.
The cascade of trade actions began in earnest in March when China was targeted with punitive duties. This was followed on April 2 by reciprocal tariffs imposed on 51 countries during a Rose Garden event. Trade negotiations followed, with the United Kingdom emerging first with a deal signed when Prime Minister Starmer attended the G7 meeting in Canada.
Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform