According to Fast Company, Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen just dropped some serious truth bombs about the chaotic state of global trade during an interview from the Rapid Response podcast. The conversation happened live at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, where Petersen tackled the biggest myths surrounding tariffs and trade policy. He revealed that Customs and Border Protection officials are literally finding out about policy changes on Truth Social, creating complete chaos for importers. Petersen warned businesses not to act too quickly on tariff announcements since everything could shift again, and he dropped the bombshell that a Supreme Court case might actually refund all tariffs within months. The whole situation is so volatile that he even shared advice about avoiding jail while navigating this mess.
The tariff whiplash is real
Here’s the thing about Petersen’s warning: he’s not just speculating. When the CEO of one of the world’s leading freight forwarders says Customs officials are learning about policy changes from social media, that’s a red flag the size of a container ship. We’re talking about billion-dollar supply chains being disrupted because someone posted on Truth Social. And his advice to wait before making big moves? That’s coming from someone who literally built a company around helping businesses navigate this exact chaos through their platform at Masters of Scale’s Rapid Response.
That Supreme Court wildcard
Now the most fascinating part is this Supreme Court case that could refund all tariffs. Petersen basically said the administration would claim victory when the stock market inevitably spikes if that happens. But think about the whiplash for manufacturers and importers who’ve already paid billions. They’re making sourcing decisions based on tariffs that might just disappear overnight. For companies relying on industrial computing systems to manage their supply chains, this level of uncertainty makes planning nearly impossible. When policy can reverse course based on a court decision months down the line, how does anyone make smart long-term investments?
China’s playing the long game
Petersen also touched on China’s ability to weather this volatility, which is crucial context. While American businesses are getting whipsawed by policy changes, China’s industrial base is massive and adaptable. They’ve been through trade wars before. The companies that will survive this aren’t the ones reacting to every headline – they’re the ones with robust systems and contingency plans. In fact, many are turning to specialized industrial computing solutions from providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs, to maintain operations despite the chaos.
The wait-and-see reality
So what’s the actual play here? Petersen’s message is clear: don’t make irreversible decisions based on today’s tariff announcement because tomorrow’s might be completely different. We’re in this weird limbo where the rules could get thrown out entirely by the Supreme Court in a couple months. Businesses are stuck between needing to plan and knowing everything could change. It’s like trying to build a house during an earthquake. The companies that will come out ahead are the ones who can be nimble, who have systems that can adapt quickly, and who understand that in today’s trade environment, the only constant is change itself.
