Across global trade lanes, regulatory scrutiny is intensifying.Governments are demanding unprecedented visibility into the origins,composition, and compliance of imported goods. Yet the world’scustoms systems — still built around transactional declarations —are increasingly unable to cope.
In the United States, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is undermounting pressure to enforce a growing web of component-based tariffs, forced-labor restrictions, and origin verification rules. Similar measures are emerging elsewhere — from the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to China’s export controls on critical minerals — pushing border authorities to evaluate entire value chains, not just final shipments.
As Evan Smith, CEO of trade-tech firm Altana, explains:
“Governments are now extending their enforcement beyond borders. What happens in a factory overseas can determine what happens at your port of entry.”
The challenge lies in the data. Traditional customs entry systems, such as the Automated Broker Interface, were designed for single transactions — an HS code, an invoice, and a duty payment. They were never meant to interpret complex global supply networks that stretch across dozens of suppliers and subcomponents.
“The customs process is literally breaking under today’s environment,” Smith said. “Authorities need to understand where materials originate, how they move, and under what labor or environmental conditions they were produced.”
To bridge that gap, Altana and CBP have developed the Product Passport — a digital identity for goods that allows importers to share verified, AI-screened supply-chain data before a shipment reaches the port, or even before manufacturing begins. Partners include Maersk, LL Bean, BASF, and major players in apparel, automotive, and chemical sectors.
Think of the Product Passport as “Global Entry for goods.” Importers can pre-submit detailed supply-chain data, which AI engines cross-check for anomalies. If CBP flags a risk— say, an unusual sourcing pattern from a Tier-2 supplier — the importer can immediately upload evidence proving compliance, avoiding lengthy detentions or legal disputes.
This proactive model contrasts sharply with the traditionalprocess, where importers often face CF-28 requests(information demands from CBP) after goods are already in transit. Byshifting to real-time collaboration, both customs and companies savetime and protect compliance integrity.
Another player, Exiger, recently signed amultimillion-dollar deal with CBP to detect fraudulentcountry-of-origin claims — showing that governments areincreasingly turning to AI partnerships to modernize enforcement.
Altana’s next step is scaling Product Passports to smallparcels and e-commerce shipments, an area overwhelmed bymillions of daily low-value entries that often bypass duties underthe de minimis threshold. By linking online checkout data orcourier bookings directly to customs via AI, CBP could screen theseshipments pre-emptively — closing one of the fastest-growingcompliance gaps in global trade.
“In the ideal scenario,” Smith noted, “the customsentry itself dissolves away — replaced by continuous, trusted dataexchange.”
For global logistics and compliance leaders, these developmentssignal a paradigm shift.
The era of “documentcompliance” is ending; the age of “data-driventransparency” has begun. Importers who invest early indigital traceability and supplier verification will not only avoidenforcement friction — they’ll gain a competitive edge in an eradefined by sustainability, sanctions, and tariff volatility.
At Worldtop & Meta, we view initiatives likeProduct Passport as the foundation of a smarter trade ecosystem —one where AI, verified suppliers, and transparent data chainsempower shippers to move goods confidently across borders, even amidtightening regulations.
✅ Global customs scrutiny is expanding beyond borders into supplier networks.
✅ Traditional customs systems can’t process full supply-chain visibility — new data pipelines are needed.
✅ Tools like Altana’s Product Passport enable proactive, AI-driven compliance.
✅ E-commerce shipments are the next major enforcement frontier.
✅ Forward-looking logistics partners must invest in digital transparency to stay ahead.
