Broad US tariff plans could reshape global investment flows, warns deVere CEO
Proposed new US tariffs on dozens of trading partners could have significant implications for global investment flows, supply chains and real asset investment decisions, according to Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group.
The warning follows proposals by the Trump administration to impose tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on imports from a broad range of economies, extending far beyond the more targeted trade measures previously directed at China.
According to Green, the breadth of the proposed measures increases the risk of unintended consequences for the US economy at a time when businesses are already facing persistent inflation, elevated financing costs and geopolitical uncertainty. deVere Group is an advisor of high-net-worth individuals with more than 80,000 clients and $14 billion under advisement.
“The wider the net is cast, the greater the risk that the economic damage comes home,” he said.
The economies affected account for trillions of dollars in annual trade with the United States. Canada and Mexico alone represent more than a quarter of total US goods trade, while the European Union remains a critical export market and supplier of industrial inputs, machinery and pharmaceuticals.
For investors, the implications extend well beyond trade policy. The latest proposals could accelerate ongoing shifts in global capital allocation as companies reassess supply chains, manufacturing footprints and investment strategies.
Previous tariff disputes prompted many multinational corporations to diversify production away from single-country sourcing models. However, Green argues that many of the easiest adjustments have already been made.
“Businesses have already spent years restructuring supply chains, diversifying suppliers and relocating production,” he said. “Further changes become progressively more expensive, more complex and less efficient.”
For real asset investors, the evolving landscape could create both risks and opportunities. Continued supply chain diversification may support investment into logistics, industrial real estate, ports and manufacturing facilities in alternative production hubs, particularly across Southeast Asia, Latin America and parts of Eastern Europe. At the same time, higher input costs and renewed inflationary pressures could weigh on project economics and corporate expansion plans.
The proposals also come amid heightened tensions in global energy markets, with concerns that geopolitical developments in the Middle East could drive further volatility in oil prices.
Green believes investors should focus on the cumulative effect of tariffs, inflation and geopolitical risk rather than viewing trade policy in isolation.
“The target list is broader, the economic backdrop is more challenging and the potential consequences for US businesses are far greater,” he said. “Investors shouldn’t assume this is simply a replay of previous tariff disputes.”
