How to save $100M in Tariffs with 1 Platform | Peter Swartz, Altana

How Altana’s AI Knowledge Graph Identifies Forced Labor, Prevents Illicit Trade, and Strengthens Supply Chain Resilience

In this episode, Peter Swartz explains how Altana’s AI-powered supply chain knowledge graph delivers multi-tier visibility to detect forced labor, stop illicit shipments, and support major counter-narcotics investigations. The discussion covers real-world outcomes, including hundreds of millions of dollars in prevented forced-labor goods and collaboration with enforcement agencies.

Peter outlines how probabilistic AI models and product passports enable governments, enterprises, and logistics providers to reduce trade disruption, expedite legitimate commerce, and model geopolitical scenarios. The conversation emphasizes human-in-the-loop decisioning, dual-use chemical diversion, and proactive risk management across global trade networks.

Key Topics Covered:

• Blocking hundreds of millions in forced-labor goods at U.S. borders
• AI knowledge graphs for multi-tier supply chain mapping
• Supporting CBP enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
• Product passports to expedite legitimate shipments through customs
• Distinguishing forced-labor infiltration from legitimate goods moving into illicit supply chains
• Preventing logistics networks from being misused by bad actors
• Proactive vs. reactive supply chain intelligence using probabilistic AI
• Scenario modeling for geopolitical disruptions and supply chain resiliency
• Reducing trade disruption costs and saving on tariff fees

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and overview of Altana's real-world impact
00:41 - Understanding forced labor as a multi-tier supply chain problem
03:09 - Hundreds of millions in forced labor goods stopped at borders
03:45 - How the AI knowledge graph maps global supply chain connections
04:15 - Working with CBP on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
04:35 - Product passports and expediting goods through customs
04:51 - Counter-narcotics and the dual-use chemical problem
05:45 - Helping logistics companies stop network misuse
06:27 - From alert to action and the system handoff process
06:49 - Responsible AI and the role of human-in-the-loop decisions
07:33 - Proactive vs. reactive supply chain intelligence
08:08 - Scenario modeling for geopolitical disruptions and resiliency

About the Guest:

Peter Swartz is Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Altana, with a background in machine learning and global trade. He has presented at the World Trade Organization, World Customs Organization, U.S. Court of International Trade, and the National Academies of Medicine, and previously served as Head of Data Science at Panjiva.

About the Company:

Altana is a Value Chain Management System that provides AI-powered supply chain intelligence to governments, enterprises, and logistics providers. Its proprietary knowledge graph spans more than 2.8 billion shipments, tracks over 500 million companies and 850 million facilities, and covers over 50% of global trade to deliver comprehensive supply chain mapping and risk insights.