Altana CEO says US tariffs failed to restore manufacturing jobs, citing automation and trade rerouting
Evan Smith tells Linxi News that while US manufacturing output has risen, employment has not, as Chinese exports shift through third-party nations and automation drives productivity.
Altana chief executive Evan Smith has stated that recent US tariffs have not returned manufacturing jobs to the United States, with any increase in output driven by industrial automation rather than employment growth. Speaking to Linxi News, Smith noted that while the Purchasing Managers Index for US manufacturing has trended above 50 percent in recent months, the sector has seen a net decline in jobs.
Data from Altana’s platform indicates that direct Chinese exports to the US have decreased proportionally, replaced by imports from third-party countries including Vietnam, Mexico, Canada, and Malaysia. Smith described this as a rerouting of goods through these nations, often involving minimal transformation, to navigate new trade barriers.
To manage the resulting bureaucratic complexity, Altana has acquired Cervo AI, a platform designed to automate customs brokerage. Smith explained that the acquisition allows the firm to handle increased form-filling and compliance workflows, noting that agentic AI can now follow standard operating procedures to process data more efficiently than previous iterations.
The company is also promoting a federated data model to provide supply chain visibility without centralising sensitive customer information. This approach, utilised in US defence procurement and upcoming pilots in Europe and the UK, aims to create a shared view of trade networks while maintaining data sovereignty for individual participants.
Smith highlighted escalating geopolitical risks, specifically the war in Iran and its impact on the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that economic chokepoints are increasingly being weaponised, potentially leading to kinetic warfare outcomes, and emphasised that supply chain resilience is critical for national security in an era of global dislocation.
