Ryan Petersen on tariffs
From “The Hidden Tactics Behind Tariffs (And Why They Matter More Than You Think)” By Ryan Petersen · · Rand clips
“You have to judge policies not by their intention but by their outcome like one of the mistakes that a lot a lot of people make is like well there's good intention so therefore the policy is fine and that's just not right. And these tariffs have had the opposite impact that Trump would like.”
On , Ryan Petersen, Founder & Executive Chairman at Flexport, spoke about tariffs during “The Hidden Tactics Behind Tariffs (And Why They Matter More Than You Think)” By Ryan Petersen on Rand clips.
About Ryan Petersen
Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of Flexport, appeared on a podcast on April 1, 2026, discussing the history of global trade and current trade issues. He described Pablo Escobar as a "logistics guy" who ran the logistics side of a cartel, while emphasizing that Escobar was "evil" and a "terrible human." Petersen stated that tariff fraud is "absolutely rampant," noting that when tariffs reach 35%, there is a strong incentive to lie about the value of goods. He said the United States is unique in allowing foreign companies to import goods with almost no restrictions, calling it an "honor system" with limited enforcement capabilities. Petersen discussed historical trade entities, saying the British East India Company were "reluctant conquerors" whose actions likely contributed to chaos in India. He also commented on the Strait of Hormuz, stating that 20% of the world's oil flows through it and calling it a potential economic crisis point, noting that gas prices in California had reached $9 per gallon. He expressed skepticism about a "fixed pie mentality" in trade policy, arguing that it is not beneficial for business.