5 Ways Airwallex helps businesses navigate tariffs and FX volatility

Managing tariffs and foreign exchange (FX) volatility has become a daily challenge for many businesses. From rising import and export duties to fluctuating currency rates, the pressure is on to protect margins and remain competitive.

Tariffs can affect small businesses and quickly eat into the bottom line. Whether you import raw materials or sell finished goods across borders, any unexpected shift in trade policies or foreign exchange (FX) rates can have a ripple effect across your business.

That’s why we’ve built a suite of global money movement tools to help businesses minimize unnecessary conversions, lock in favorable rates, and stay agile in a volatile trade environment.

Here are five ways Airwallex can help you navigate tariffs and the resulting FX volatility, so you can maintain control of your global finances.

1. Receive and hold funds in multiple currencies with Airwallex Global Accounts

Tariffs aren’t just about duties. They often come ‌with cross-border currency exposure, which can significantly impact the cost of international trade. When you import or export goods, exchange rate fluctuations and FX fees can affect the cost of the transaction. One way to manage this foreign currency exposure is to hold funds in the currencies you operate in with a multi-currency account. This solution shields you from the effects of FX volatility and saves you from unnecessary currency conversions.

Our Global Accounts allow you to open local currency accounts in minutes, without needing a physical presence overseas. This feature lets you receive funds from bank transfers in 26 major currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, and AUD, while giving you the flexibility to hold those funds without having to convert them immediately to your home currency.

How it helps: The ability to hold funds in multiple currencies lets you choose when to convert them, avoiding forced conversions and minimizing currency losses caused by volatile rates.

2. Settle funds from online sales in multiple currencies with Airwallex Payments

If you sell online, you can receive payments in your customers’ local currencies and settle them in the same currencies to your Airwallex Global Accounts. Airwallex Payments (coming soon) lets you accept payments from major card schemes and 160+ local payment methods, including digital wallets, BNPL options, and bank transfers.

How it helps: Settling payments in the same currencies you receive them in means you won’t have to pay any forced currency conversion fees to settle them in your home currency. Let’s say you’re a Canadian business selling to US customers. With Airwallex, you can price your products in USD and settle payments in USD, without being forced to convert those payments to CAD. You avoid unnecessary cross-border fees and gain the flexibility to hold, spend, or convert USD when it suits you.

3. Spend globally from multi-currency balances with Airwallex Corporate Cards

Airwallex makes spending from your existing multi-currency balances with multi-currency Corporate Cards easy. Whether you're paying suppliers, buying inventory, or covering travel costs, you can spend from the appropriate currency balance without having to convert funds.

How it helps: When you pay international vendors, you can do so from your existing multi-currency balances. For example, if you’re paying a supplier in China from your ‌Chinese Yuan (CNY) balance, you won’t have to convert funds from your home currency to CNY.

4. Lock in FX rates in advance to avoid FX fluctuations with Airwallex Scheduled Conversions

FX rates are in constant flux. Various factors drive FX volatility, including geopolitical shifts, economic policies, tariffs, and central bank policies. That’s why the cost of an international transaction may change from the day you make a transaction agreement to the day you settle the transaction, whether 30, 60, or 90 days later. To help you maintain stable cash flow, we’re rolling out Scheduled Conversions, a feature that'll allow you to lock in today’s rate for a future transaction.

How it helps: Scheduled conversions protect your business from FX volatility by locking in today’s current exchange rate for a future foreign currency transaction. Whether your home currency strengthens or weakens relative to foreign currencies, you’ll have the certainty of paying a fixed amount for a future transaction. This certainty protects your business from FX fluctuations, helps you better predict your landed cost calculations, and plans for the future.

5. Convert currencies only when your target FX rate is reached with Airwallex Limit Orders (coming soon)

If your business relies on converting funds regularly at competitive rates, Airwallex Limit Orders offers an automated solution. Set your target FX rate, and our platform will automatically convert your funds once the target rate is reached. With this feature, you can save time monitoring exchange rates, protect your business from unfavorable FX fluctuations, and ensure more accurate landed cost calculations.

How it helps: Airwallex Limit Orders allows your business to capture favorable FX rates that can offset tariff-related costs, while saving you time manually monitoring FX rates.

Airwallex is your essential tool in a volatile environment

While geopolitical shifts, tariffs, and the resulting FX volatility may be beyond your control, managing currency exposure and global funds isn't. With technology, you can take control of your finances in a world of flux.

Partnering with a fintech like Airwallex equips you with simple tools to maintain control of your global funds, all on one platform. With our platform, you can save on FX fees to make the most of your margins and offset the costs of tariffs.

• Receive and hold funds in multiple currencies to minimize the need to convert currencies in the first place.

• Settle funds from online sales in multiple currencies without forced currency conversions.

• Spend globally from multi-currency balances with corporate cards to save on FX conversions and international transaction fees.

• Schedule FX conversions in advance to lock in today’s rates for future transactions to maintain stable cash flow.

• Automatically convert currencies at your target FX rate to secure favorable rates and avoid unfavorable ones.

Our solutions help you safeguard cash flow, protect profit margins, forecast expenses, and plan strategically for the future.