The (new) new normal
The norms that defined global trade in the postwar era have been functionally abolished. What took 80 years to take shape has been dismantled in less than 80 days as the Trump administration continues to levy tariffs against foreign imports, accelerating a protectionist trend that threatens to disrupt supply chains in the US and beyond.
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counsellor and Director of Research at theInternational Monetary Foundation (IMF) wrote this week that the “epistemic uncertainty and policy unpredictability” resulting from the new tariff-defined landscape was “a major driver” of the an increasingly bleak economic outlook. “If sustained, this abrupt increase in tariffs and attendant uncertainty will significantly slow global growth,” he added.
Throughout the global supply chain, organisations are looking for ways to tackle these challenges, and solutions providers are already stepping up with new offerings.
“Global supply chains aren’t operating by the old rules anymore,” Fabienne Cetre, EVP EMEA at Kinaxis said on Wednesday. “Tariffs are hitting faster, with broader consequences, and our data shows just how disruptive they’ve become. When trade policies shift overnight, companies need more than spreadsheets.”
Kinaxis Tariff Response
Kinaxis, the leader in real-time supply chain orchestration, has launched a new offering on the company’s AI Maestro platform. The solution, Kinaxis Tariff Response, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help companies simulate tariff exposure, run strategic scenarios, and make data-informed decisions quickly.
Kinaxis explains that, as ongoing tariff pressures and trade uncertainty continue to reshape global supply chains, Kinaxis Tariff Response is helping meet the rising demand for scenario planning. The service gives planners access to tariff modelling without the cost or complexity of building it internally – providing a faster and more accessible way for companies to shift from reactive firefighting to proactive orchestration.
Many Kinaxis customers already reportedly use Maestro’s scenario planning to stay ahead of disruptions in an increasingly unpredictable supply chain landscape. During the last 12 months, usage spiked significantly around key tariff discussions. Kinaxis reported a 124% scenario usage spike after the June 2024 presidential debate that first mentioned tariffs, alongside a 112% increase following the January 2025 White House tariff memo.
As AI tools get more sophisticated, companies are increasingly turning to simulation to cultivate the visibility they need to evaluate risks and respond faster to disruption.
AI powered visibility
Built on Kinaxis’ AI-powered Maestro platform, customers can spin up the new tariff response platform in as few as 21 days, giving planners access to tariff modeling without the cost or complexity of building it internally.
While Kinaxis’ Maestro platform has had an AI-powered “what-if scenario planning” feature for a while, the new Kinaxis Tariff Response builds on that foundation with a focused solution for trade disruption. The tool combines tariff-specific inputs, sourcing logic, pricing levers, and demand modeling so companies can assess margin risk, test strategies, and evaluate trade-offs in seconds, not days or weeks.
“With Kinaxis Tariff Response, they get visibility into cost, demand, and sourcing implications in real time, giving them the confidence to act with speed and precision,” Cetre added.
- AI in Supply Chain
- Digital Supply Chain