The Airforwarders Association (AfA) has called for caution with tariffs amidst the recent wave of U.S. tariff announcements towards Canada, Mexico and China.

At its annual conference, AirCargo 2025, AfA said the flurry of proposed tariffs has hit the air logistics community, with fears mounting that this may cause problems for U.S. businesses while the logistics sector adapts to the new international trade landscape.

"We understand the political and economic reasoning behind the tariffs, but there must be stability to allow the logistics sector to plan and support U.S. businesses," said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association.

"Overnight changes, as in the case of the proposed 25% Colombian tariff, are damaging to the supply chain," he added.

Fried noted that "if reciprocal tariffs are put in place just as quickly, then a bilateral agreement may be harder to negotiate, and we risk placing ourselves in a position of import/export uncertainty."

A survey conducted during the meeting revealed that 62% of AfA members are highly concerned about how the new wave of tariffs will affect their business operations.

"This could be trouble for the U.S. economy, for the American consumer, and for air freight forwarders' businesses," Fried said.

The conference also featured a panel discussion on changes to air cargo policy under the new administration of President Donald J. Trump. Tariffs dominated the discussion, with multiple panelists arguing that the tariffs are "punitive" and will likely trigger retaliatory measures from trading partners.

Since then, the U.S. has implemented on-and-off tariff measures against Canada and Mexico. Trump also announced a 10% increase in tariffs on China, raising the total tariffs imposed on its largest trading partner to 20%.

The U.S. president has also announced plans to impose "reciprocal" tariffs and sector-specific duties against countries around the world starting April 2.

The Airforwarders Association has represented the North American logistics and supply chain industry in the U.S. since 1991.