E D I T O R’ S
Q U E S T I O N
WHAT TECHNOLOGY WILL SUPPORT BUSINESSES IN NAVIGATING TRUMP’ S TARIFFS?
Lissele Pratt,( Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree) and the Co-founder of Capitalixe
Trump’ s tariffs aren’ t just about trade. They’ re about tension. They send shockwaves through global supply chains, rattle FX markets and leave international businesses scrambling to adapt.
We’ re not talking about subtle policy shifts here. We’ re talking 104 % tariffs on Chinese EVs, new levies on steel, semiconductors, solar panels, etc. One moment you’ re forecasting growth and the next, your supplier hits you with a 25 % price hike.
Since the April 2025 tariff announcement, supply chains have seen disrupted demand forecasting and inventory planning, forcing companies to pause or cancel orders, and in some cases, literally beg vendors to hold the line. Nearly 9 in 10 supply chain professionals say cancellations are the most widespread reaction and over 60 % are preparing to raise prices. At the same time, the US dollar has taken a hit, dropping 8 % this year, falling to a threeyear low, and losing ground to the euro, yen and Swiss franc. Markets don’ t like uncertainty, and these tariffs represent the most significant shift in US trade policy in at least a century. That kind of disruption is bound to shake confidence.
When tariffs land, the pressure is instant. On margins, on trust, on liquidity. I work with FinTechs and high-risk industries every day, the types of companies that don’ t have the luxury of playing it safe. I’ ve seen firsthand what happens when policy changes overnight. The businesses that survive aren’ t the ones who sit still but the ones who adapt fast and use technology to stay ahead of the chaos.
Blockchain is an example of a FinTech solution that can be adopted here. Not the hype-y, NFT-lambo version. I mean real-world Blockchain. Transparent, tamper-proof records that build trust. Smart contracts that say, if these terms are met, the money moves. When a shipment gets held at customs because the rules changed mid-transit, these systems can make the difference between being fined or clearing the goods altogether. Some ports are already using platforms to trace goods in real-time and McKinsey says pairing Blockchain with AI in customs processes could cut costs by over 30 %.
Then there’ s stablecoins that are powering instant cross-border payments. Traditional banks are not built for geopolitical whiplash. But FinTech alternatives are. They’ re making it happen. One client I worked with, a remittance company, cut their transfer fees just by switching to stablecoins.
Now, I’ m not saying tech is a silver bullet. I’ m saying it’ s a shield. Build systems that don’ t crack every time someone tweets about trade wars. Tariffs are just one layer. The bigger issue is fragility. And the solution is resilience, through transparency, speed, and control over your money. Smart businesses aren’ t waiting to see what Trump( or anyone else) does next. They’ re hedging. They’ re automating. They’ re building optionality into every part of their operation. Because if we’ ve learned anything from the last five years, it’ s being proactive beats being reactive, every single time. www. intelligentfin. tech
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