Brandon Fried, the executive director of the Airforwarders Association (AfA), has called upon the US government to freeze tariffs, not trade, as the Trump administration’s trade negotiations continue.
Since the beginning of 2025, the US government has announced wide ranging tariffs on almost all nations, starting with a 25% tariff on almost all Mexican and Canadian goods in February this year.
Speaking at this year’s CNS Partnership Conference in Miami, Fried said: “We understand that these tariffs were initially set to balance the trade deficit of foreign goods entering the US, and that tariffs are a commonplace mechanism of international trade.
“The instability caused, however, by mass tariff implementation, negotiation, and bilateral agreements, as well as inevitable disputes over high rates, has hit our industry, and we need to freeze tariffs, not our ability to trade.
“The expertise of our forwarders is being put to the test, as we are having to find solutions that can be obsolete in a matter of days or weeks.”
The AfA executive director added: “We need to invest in our infrastructure and security. Our ability to trade is crucial in today’s geopolitical landscape, and the US transportation and logistics sector has always been a proud partner of US industry, delivering our import and export capabilities globally.
“We are ready to work with the Trump administration to support this and most importantly to make sure the US is open for business, both domestically and internationally.”
READ MORE: ‘How bad will it get?’: Air cargo market awaits impact of tariffs and de minimis changes
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