One of the ways I’ve been trying to sort out the chaos of tariffs and trade wars is by talking to the people behind the software that makes the global trade system go. So today I wanted to bring back one of my favorite Decoder guests: Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen, whose software manages the logistics of moving things around the world, from factory to doorstep. 

We didn’t get too much into the numbers — those tariff percentages keep changing — so instead Ryan and I really focused on how this system works, how it’s supposed to work, and how it’s working now, if it’s working at all. 

Links: 

Flexport Tariff Live Blog | Flexport

US tariffs: how Trump’s tax is hitting Big Tech and beyond | Verge

How much will Trump’s tariffs cost U.S. importers? | NYT

How much are tariffs on Chinese goods? It’s tricky | NYT

How Trump’s tariff chaos is already changing global trade | Decoder

Can software simplify the supply chain? Ryan Petersen thinks so | Decoder

Why Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen took his company back | Decoder

The U.S.-China decoupling arrives | Axios

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices