Firms launch tools to help shippers measure tariff costs

 As shifting tariffs continue to impact global supply chains, Flexport and C.H. Robinson have introduced tools aimed at helping businesses navigate duties impacting international shipments.

Flexport, a San Francisco-based global logistics technology company, recently launched the Flexport Tariff Simulator, a tool designed to help businesses estimate landed costs and navigate tariffs in real time. 

Third party logistics provider C.H. Robinson (Nasdaq: CHRW) has added the U.S. Tariff Impact Analysis tool to its global shipper platform to help businesses assess their overall duty exposure, while providing precise cost analysis of each shipment.

Mike Short, president of global forwarding at C.H. Robinson said the tool assesses trade complexities more effectively.

“With this tool a national retailer could identify high-volume stock keeping units coming from one point of origin, then quickly compare total duty spend along various alternative sources — then reroute future supply where needed,” Short said in a news release.

Ryan Petersen, Flexport founder and CEO, said their customers have been asking for more clarity on the impact of import tariffs on shipments.

“Our engineering team built the Flexport tariff simulator in response to meet that need in the face of all the uncertainty caused by rapid policy changes,” Petersen said in a news release. “We want to help merchants avoid expensive surprises.”

Flexport’s tariff simulator includes an interactive map that allows users to see trade data around the world, including the total value of imports from a given country, the current average duty rate, and the percentage of total U.S. imports coming from that country.

The tool is available to the general public at tariffs.flexport.com.

Related: Cargado expands freight marketplace into Canada, launches market rates tool

Along with the tariff simulator, Flexport is also launching a searchable catalog of harmonized tariff schedule codes to navigate classification requirements, special duty rates and customs clearance processes.

Flexport and C.H. Robinson are not the only firms launching tools to help shippers, logistics professionals and consumers assess the impact of import tariffs.

In March, UPS (NYSE: UPS) created an automatic tariff calculator for online shoppers — UPS Global Checkout. The parcel carrier’s landed cost calculator allows e-commerce merchants to integrate it into their online stores so customers see the import duties, taxes and fees upfront at checkout.

E-commerce platform provider Shopify (Nasdaq: SHOP) launched a tariff calculator in May that helps determine duties and taxes on international shipments.

Agtools, a provider of software solutions for the food industry, debuted a tool in February that enables users to calculate import levies across all commodities in real time and create scenarios that will impact supply, merchandising and pricing.

The post Firms launch tools to help shippers measure tariff costs appeared first on FreightWaves.