AI Navigates Trump Tariff Turbulence

Businesses are utilizing artificial intelligence to navigate the complexities of global trade. Several tech firms informed CNBC that they are using AI to visualize global supply chains, from the materials used to form products to the locations they are shipped from, and to understand the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs.

Salesforce announced the development of an import specialist AI agent capable of instantly processing changes for all 20,000 product categories within the U.S. customs system and taking action as necessary to navigate tariff system changes. According to Eric Loeb, executive vice president of government affairs at Salesforce, the speed and complexity of global tariff changes make manual tracking nearly impossible for most businesses. He noted that companies previously relied on small teams of in-house experts.

AI for Faster Decision-Making

Firms report that AI systems enable quicker decisions regarding adjustments to global supply chains. Andrew Bell, chief product officer of Kinaxis, a supply chain management software firm, stated that manufacturers and distributors are using their machine learning technology to assess products, materials, and external signals like news articles and macroeconomic data to inform their response to tariffs.

Bell told CNBC, "With that information, we can start doing some of those simulations of, here is a particular part that is in your build material that has a significant tariff. If you switched to using this other part instead, what would the impact be overall?"

Trump's tariffs have led companies to re-evaluate their supply chains and pricing. The U.S. imported approximately $3.3 trillion of goods in 2024, according to census data.

AI's Opportunity

Zack Kass, a futurist and former head of OpenAI's go-to-market strategy, told CNBC that the uncertainty resulting from U.S. tariff measures presents "AI's moment to shine."

Nagendra Bandaru, managing partner at Wipro, said clients are using their AI solutions to adjust trade lanes and manage duty exposure as policy landscapes evolve. Wipro employs various AI systems, including large language models and computer vision, to inspect physical assets in cross-border transit. These AI products are used by a Fortune 500 electronics manufacturer and an automotive parts supplier.

Bandaru noted that AI enhances trade policy strategy by transforming global trade into a proactive, data-driven advantage, but is not a "silver bullet."

According to a Capgemini report, AI was already a key investment priority for global firms prior to tariff announcements. Ajay Agarwal, partner at Bain Capital Ventures, said that FourKites uses supply chain network data with AI to help firms understand the logistics impacts of adjusting suppliers due to tariffs.

Agarwal stated that switching suppliers may reduce tariff costs but could increase lead times and transportation costs, and the volatility of tariffs has impacted rates and capacity in ocean and domestic freight networks.