U.S. trade policy has become a storm of unpredictability, leaving customs brokers scrambling to stay on top of ever-changing tariffs and rules. This has put global supply chain operators on their heels, trying to react, remain compliant, and keep freight moving.

Historically, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency offered long lead times and clear guidance when implementing new regulations, allowing stakeholders to prepare and adapt. But recently, that pattern has shifted drastically. Instead of months or even weeks of preparation, new rules and changes are getting announced, often with just days of notice, and in some cases, rescinded after brief implementation periods. The result is chaos.

The impacts are immediate and far-reaching. The constant barrage of updates — such as tariff changes, new de minimis rules, and complex HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) associations — has pushed customs workloads to the breaking point. 

Since January 20, 2025, a number of critical rulings have been issued, underlining the pace of change in U.S. trade policy. In just the first 30 days, new rules include:

• Reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose tariffs or non-tariff barriers on U.S. goods

• 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports

• 10% tariffs on Chinese imports

• 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico

• Suspension of the De Minimis exemption for Chinese imports

• Reciprocal tariffs targeting the European Union, India, and Japan 

For importers and exporters, these are more than just a nuisance. They represent an existential challenge — how can they process shipments, ensure compliance, and maintain accuracy when the rules are constantly shifting, often with little or no notice?  Unfortunately, this kind of work requires hands-on effort by well-trained people, who are in short supply.

A New Class of Hurdles to Overcome

The challenges brokers are facing because of the new trade policies and the way they are being implemented are both technical and operational.  

The most pressing issue facing operators is there has been little or no time to prepare for the new rules. There was no vetting process to ensure their systems were ready for the new tariff codes, and brokers find themselves in a situation where they must constantly scramble to implement updates without a clear roadmap.

Burdensome process updates include the shift in HTS number associations duty miscalculations. Brokers used to only associate one 99 tariff number for certain items. Now, for any item that previously had a 99 tariff, a second tariff must be added. 

Changes to the de minimis rule, which exempts certain low-value goods from duties, could also have staggering implications on imports from China. By some estimates, $180 billion in trade falls into the de minimis exemption threshold, so this has far-reaching implications for e-commerce, sourcing strategies and the air freight industry at large.

The de minimis value threshold previously set at $800, will likely come down, or be eliminated completely. The changes are initially focused on imports from China, but that could be expanded to other countries, or the thresholds could be changed, potentially many times.  

Brokers who previously relied on large spreadsheets to manage small shipment data now face significant issues when processing this data under the new rules. There is simply not enough time or people on hand to manage the workloads.

One very large global freight forwarder recently said, "We had people working through the weekend to check their entries. I've never seen anything like this in my 40 years of working with customs."

The Unlimited Pool of AI “Workers” 

Amid this chaos, AI is emerging as a crucial tool to streamline operations and mitigate the impacts of regulatory changes. While AI can't replace a broker's expertise, it can handle redundant data entry, lookup and processing tasks, which allows human operators to focus on strategic decision-making. 

Today’s regulatory environment demands that brokers remain adaptable and up to date. AI technology that integrates directly with transportation management systems or Excel outputs can keep teams informed and ready to act without having to overhaul existing workflows. 

AI can quickly identify and apply the most up-to-date HTS codes, and do it within the context of existing workflows, significantly reducing the time spent on manual lookups. Through automated lookup capabilities, AI ensures that the correct tariff information is used, helping brokers avoid costly mistakes and delays.

One of the most time-consuming aspects of the job is data entry. With the shift to more complex HTS code associations and the volume increases, brokers are spending far more time entering data into their systems. AI can help reduce this manual burden by streamlining classification and entry processes, allowing brokers to process more shipments in less time.

By automating routine tasks and ensuring that teams remain agile and adaptable, AI-enabled technology provides much-needed relief for brokers navigating these regulatory shifts, which is why it is one of the more mature business use cases in global logistics today.

Charting the Road Ahead: Doing More with Less

As the demand for trade compliance continues to grow, brokers must find ways to do more with fewer resources. AI offers a practical solution — by providing unlimited data processing horsepower, allowing brokers to manage increased workloads while maintaining compliance and accuracy. 

In a landscape where the only certainty is uncertainty, AI’s ability to adapt, streamline, and support decision-making will be essential to keeping businesses on track. Most of the early success stories are about manual, redundant task automation at scale. If this isn’t the moment to move full steam ahead, it’s hard to know what is.

While the chaos surrounding new trade regulations may not slow anytime soon, those who embrace AI will find themselves better equipped to handle whatever the next change brings, which will likely happen daily for the foreseeable future.

Greg Kefer is chief marketing officer at Raft AI.