Leading global logistics provider C.H. Robinson, which manages 37 million shipments a year, is helping its 83,000 customers navigate shifting tariffs and trade policy – one of the most significant factors influencing supply chains in 2025, according to the company’s new customer research study.
In the survey, shippers said the top risk to their supply chains in 2025 is changes in tariffs and trade policy. Nearly 50% said the uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy is a pain point for them today. Survey results also show shippers are actively preparing for changes in tariffs and trade policy, including analyzing their existing customs data, identifying alternative suppliers, and re-evaluating their cross-border strategies.
C.H. Robinson has been helping customers prepare for existing and pending trade policy changes by running risk scenarios, building and implementing contingency plans, engineering and executing tariff solutions, and increasing supply chain diversification and agility. The company also offers a monthly global freight market insights report, consistently publishes real-time updates and will host a live webinar Tuesday, Feb. 11, at noon CT to answer shipper questions.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to support our customers through times of uncertainty and change,” said Michael Castagnetto, President of North America Surface transportation. “That can be an automotive customer needing to pivot to more regional production, a retail customer rethinking inventory plans due to tariffs or an energy customer adjusting to a new regulatory environment. Our goal is to give them a competitive advantage through our unique position as a global company with multi-modal expertise, unrivaled scale and tailored solutions that include 135 years of cross-border expertise in Canada and Mexico combined. We’ve helped shippers remain adaptable through the Covid-19 pandemic, major strikes, geopolitical conflicts and more. Now, we are helping them develop plans and execute those plans in the face of tariffs and trade policy changes.”
Shippers say the top five ways they are planning for changes in tariffs and trade policy are through identifying where they can switch sourcing to save money, analyzing customs data, evaluating cross-border strategies, running risk scenarios and lowering their dependence on Chinese imports. Nearly 40% said they need more data and insights to find savings on tariffs and duties.
“Having visibility into your full supply chain is no longer a nice-to-have. In 2025, visibility is a competitive differentiator and shippers without the technology and expertise to support real-time data and insights, contingency planning and quick action will face increased supply chain risks,” said Jordan Kass, President of C.H. Robinson Managed Solutions. “For example, as our customers looked to frontloading as a solution to ongoing strike and tariff threats, our network engineers modeled the costs and benefits to help them build informed and adaptable plans, which we can then execute on their behalf. Without that rich, real-time data, shippers can’t make informed decisions about their supply chain, which will be especially critical this year.”
President of C.H. Robinson Global Forwarding, Mike Short, said, “In today’s uncertain shipping environment, shippers are looking for ways to reduce their susceptibility to events that impact logistics but are out of their control. By diversifying their supply chains, getting access to the latest information and having a global supply chain partner able to flex with their needs at a moment’s notice, shippers can gain something they don’t always have when disruptions and policy changes occur – options.”
About C.H. Robinson
C.H. Robinson delivers logistics like no one else™. Companies around the world look to us to reimagine supply chains, advance freight technology, and solve logistics challenges—from the simple to the most complex. 83,000 customers and 450,000 contract carriers in our network trust us to manage 37 million shipments and $23 billion in freight annually. Through our unmatched expertise, unrivaled scale, and tailored solutions, we ensure the seamless delivery of goods across industries and continents via truckload, less-than-truckload, ocean, air, and beyond. As a responsible global citizen, we make supply chains more sustainable and proudly contribute millions to the causes that matter most to our employees. For more information, visit us at chrobinson.com (Nasdaq: CHRW).
