Tariffs didn’t bring manufacturing jobs back to the US
Summary
Eli Patel interviews Altana CEO Evan Smith about how AI is transforming global supply chain management amid rising trade barriers and geopolitical instability. They discuss Altana’s use of agentic AI to automate customs compliance and the recent acquisition of Servo AI. Smith analyzes data showing that recent tariffs have rerouted Chinese goods through third countries rather than boosting U.S. manufacturing jobs, highlighting the complex reality of modern trade policy.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Global trade chaos and AI's role
Altana's mission: Trusted globalization in a fractured world
AI agents vs. bureaucracy: Automating customs compliance
Altana's structure: Domain experts and agentic development
Internal AI debates: Engineering workflows and token costs
Pricing models: Value-based billing vs. per-entry fees
Servo acquisition: SOPs and structured data efficiency
Modernizing customs: From risk-based targeting to continuous monitoring
Tariff impacts: Manufacturing reshoring and automation trends
Drone dominance: Securing US supply chains and critical minerals
Trade policy shifts: De minimis changes and USMCA disputes
Geopolitical choke points: Strait of Hormuz and supply chain resilience
Federated data architecture: Privacy-preserving network intelligence
Listen ad-free on Castria