Audience:
Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.
Description:
New trade compliance tools are incorporating AI to support import/export classification, FTA qualification, and forced labor compliance. This webinar will provide real-time understanding of how AI-assisted, human-in-the-loop tools make it possible to do much more without adding headcount or investing in large, IT-intensive software. This includes speeding up import and export classifications, auto-calculating FTA qualifications, and determining SKU-level forced labor risks.
Additionally, technology can make record-keeping and audit trails automatic by incorporating collaboration into the process of classifying, qualifying, or complying. This can eliminate the need for email, PDFs, attachments, and spreadsheets and all the uploading and downloading that is prevalent. Other features of an AI-assisted platform for trade compliance is the ability to add-on to or enhance an existing GTM system and to connect disparate data sources into a single view.
Finally, learn how to use AI prompts to converse with customs rulings for faster and easier research.
Attendees of this webinar will learn:
- What trade compliance tasks can now be safely automated using AI.
- How the nextgen trade compliance tools can increase your team's capacity.
- About cost-effective ways to meet the ever-increasing regulatory demands.
Speaker:
Todd R. Smith
Founder & CEO
KYG Trade Inc.
Todd R. Smith, LCB is Founder CEO of KYG Trade, the Know Your Goods Trade Attestation Platform and Marketplace™. The platform provides AI-powered global trade and forced labor compliance, collaboration, and workflow all in one place. Before forming KYG Trade, Todd was a partner and provided trade and customs consulting services to the Fortune 50 at Big 4 Accounting, Tax, and Advisory firms EY and KPMG. He has advised and presented several times at the WCO Technical Committee on Customs Valuation in
Brussels, Belgium. Todd also recently founded and serves as co-chairman of the OriginBX OASIS Open Project (OriginBX). OriginBX™ is a non-profit vendor-neutral open-source product attribute standard and global registry. Current and former observers and sponsors of OriginBX consist of global brands, customs brokers, freight forwarders, trade technology providers, track and trace blockchain platforms, eCommerce platforms, customs authorities, and global trade policy-setting organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Leigh Schmid
Global Trade Compliance Professional
Leigh Schmid is a seasoned expert in global trade compliance, with a career spanning over three decades. His extensive experience and deep understanding of international trade regulations have made him a trusted advisor to businesses navigating the complexities of global supply chains. Currently, Leigh serves as the Founder and CEO of Leigh Schmid Trade Consulting LLC, a role he assumed in August 2024. In this position, he provides strategic advice to clients on trade and customs, social compliance, including forced labor prevention, and brand protection investigations. His consultancy is known for delivering tailored solutions that ensure businesses remain compliant while optimizing their operations in an increasingly regulated environment.
Before founding his consultancy, Leigh had a distinguished career at Victoria's Secret, where he served as Senior Vice President of Global Trade Compliance from November 1998 to July 2023. During his 24-year tenure, he was instrumental in developing and managing comprehensive compliance programs that protected the brand’s global interests. Leigh's work at Victoria's Secret, and previously at L Brands, focused on customs, trade, brand protection, social compliance, and regulatory compliance, solidifying his reputation as a leader in the field.
Leigh also made significant contributions as a member of the Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) at the World Customs Organization (WCO) from 2004 to August 2021. In this role, he advised the Chair of the Policy Commission and the Secretary General of the WCO, helping to shape global trade policies and promote transparency and fairness in international trade. Earlier in his career, Leigh served as Partner-In-Charge of International Trade & Customs Services at KPMG from June 1990 to October 1998. In this role, he provided expert guidance on customs and trade laws to clients across Canada and the Americas, further honing his expertise in the global trade compliance arena. Leigh Schmid's blend of expertise, innovation, and leadership has positioned him as a driving force in the world of global trade compliance. His ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and develop strategic solutions continues to help businesses thrive in a rapidly changing global marketplace.
Moderator:
Nate Herman
Senior Vice President, Policy
AAFA
Nate Herman oversees AAFA’s Policy department, managing the association’s lobbying, policy, and regulatory affairs activities. Nate leads AAFA’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, formulating and implementing CSR policy and representing AAFA and the industry on CSR issues before governments, NGOs, and other key stakeholders. In addition, Nate develops all apparel and footwear industry data and statistics as AAFA's resident economist. Prior to joining AAFA, Nate worked for six years at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration assisting U.S. firms in entering the global market. Nate spent the last two years as the Department's industry analyst for the footwear and travel goods industries. Nate received a Masters of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Economics from the University of Delaware in 1992.
Unable to join on August 29?
Register for the webinar to receive an email containing the direct link to view the recording of the webinar and a link to the PDF version of the presentation. The email will be sent 1-3 business days after the webinar.
CONTACT | QUESTIONS
Stephanie Paendong