Simply Trade

Host: Cindy Allen
Published: October 2, 2026
Length: ~12 min.
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
What should trade teams watch when tariff negotiations, court challenges, and customs procedures are all moving at once?

In this October 2 edition of Simply Trade—Cindy’s Version, Cindy Allen uses Taylor Swift’s “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” as the starting point for a discussion about trade relationships and operational uncertainty. She examines developments involving China, Canada, and Mexico, alongside the questions they raise for importers, customs brokers, and cross-border supply chains.

The update moves from proposed Section 301 tariff reductions and the U.S.–China trade truce to international discussions about excess capacity and steel melt-and-pour information. Cindy also reviews tariff litigation before turning to practical matters: continuing education records, importer-of-record status, CTPAT validation, low-value postal entries, and pharmaceutical tariff reporting.

Throughout the episode, Cindy connects policy discussions with the follow-through required of trade professionals. Her closing message is to prepare for further changes rather than assume temporary arrangements will settle long-term planning questions.

For listeners balancing developments in Washington and abroad with day-to-day customs responsibilities, this episode offers a focused overview of what Cindy is watching—and the operational details she encourages listeners to review.

This Week in Trade
Topics Cindy discusses in this episode:

• China trade developments: Proposed Section 301 tariff reductions, an anticipated comment period, and the U.S.–China trade-truce extension.

• Global trade and the courts: Excess-capacity discussions, steel melt-and-pour transparency, and tariff challenges involving Sections 301 and 122.

• CBP updates: Broker education and applications, importer records, CTPAT, Entry Type 13, and pharmaceutical tariff reporting.

• North America and transportation: Canadian product restrictions, USMCA negotiations, and shipping concerns involving the Strait of Hormuz.

Main Topic / Discussion
The central discussion is how evolving trade relationships intersect with everyday customs work. Cindy uses this week’s song as an organizing theme for examining U.S. trade relationships with Canada, Mexico, China, and other trading partners.

She connects that broader discussion with operational readiness: monitoring tariff proposals and court cases, maintaining broker education documentation, checking importer records, and following CBP filing guidance. The episode brings policy developments and administrative details into the same conversation, encouraging listeners to account for both when planning their next steps.

Key Takeaways
• Watch the process, not just the announcement. Follow comment periods and implementation guidance as proposed tariff changes develop.

• Keep broker education records current. Review completed credits and supporting documentation ahead of the next triennial reporting cycle.

• Review importer and broker readiness. Pay attention to importer-of-record status, Form 5106 information, and applicable CTPAT requirements.

• Prepare for continued change. Keep trade negotiations, tariff litigation, steel-origin information, and CBP reporting guidance on your monitoring list.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• USTR: Section 301 Investigations

• CBP: Customs Broker Continuing Education

• CBP: Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism—CTPAT

• Episode song: Taylor Swift, “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.”

Credits
Host:
Cindy Allen

Guest(s):
N/A

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Andy Shiles
Guest(s): Evan Shelley, Founder of Truck Parking Club
Published: October 1, 2026
Length: Approximately 34 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
What does “free” truck parking really cost when a driver has to travel miles out of the way to reach it? In this episode of Simply Trade, Andy Shiles talks with Evan Shelley, founder of Truck Parking Club, about treating parking as an operational decision—not simply an expense to avoid. Their conversation explores the trade-offs between parking fees, unnecessary mileage, available driving time, and driver stress.

Evan explains how Truck Parking Club connects drivers, dispatchers, and fleet managers looking for parking with property owners who have suitable space available. The discussion goes beyond overnight stops to cover trailer drop-offs, multiday stays, and longer-term equipment storage. Along the way, Andy and Evan consider why access to the right parking location can matter as much as the price of the space itself.

There’s another side to the conversation for warehouse operators, trucking terminals, repair shops, and other businesses with unused room. Evan describes how those spaces can become parking opportunities—and why a property doesn’t necessarily need to be large or located beside a major interstate to meet a driver’s needs. For anyone managing trucks, coordinating freight, or overseeing commercial property, this episode offers a practical look at an often-overlooked part of transportation operations.

Main Topic / Discussion
Andy and Evan explore truck parking from both sides of the marketplace: helping drivers and fleets find suitable places to stop while helping property owners put unused capacity to work. Evan describes the platform’s booking tools, property information, and support for parking operators. At the time of recording, he reports more than 6,300 locations across all 50 states.

Episode Highlights
The following timestamps mark discussion segments in the transcript.

• 02:48 — How the marketplace works: Connecting parking demand with available property space.

• 12:13 — Finding and booking a spot: Using availability, photos, reviews, and amenities to evaluate locations.

• 13:05 — Pricing and membership options: Marketplace rates, volume discounts, and loyalty benefits.

• 17:32 — Beyond overnight parking: Multiday stops, trailer drop-offs, and longer-term storage needs.

• 21:18 — The fleet business case: Evaluating parking through safety, efficiency, out-of-route miles, and driver experience.

• 30:45 — Opportunities beyond major markets: Why rural properties and smaller locations can still meet meaningful parking needs.

Key Takeaways
• Compare the whole trip—not just the parking fee. Andy and Evan discuss how a free space farther away may involve additional fuel, mileage, and time compared with a nearby paid option.

• Parking needs extend beyond overnight rest. The conversation includes trailer drops, multiday parking, and longer-term equipment storage—not just finding somewhere to sleep.

• Suitable unused space can create a revenue opportunity. Evan explains how warehouses, trucking terminals, repair shops, and other properties can participate, including locations with only one available space.

• Location value depends on the driver’s needs. Evan highlights how a rural property could help a local driver park closer to home, even when the site is not near a major interstate.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• Truck Parking Club

• Connect with Evan Shelley on LinkedIn

Credits
Host:
Andy Shiles

Guest(s):
Evan Shelley - LinkedIn

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Lalo Solorzano
Guest(s): Arthur O’Meara
Published: September 30
Length: ~12 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
DDP can sound like the perfect solution for a customer: the seller handles everything and delivers the goods. But for the seller, Delivered Duty Paid can bring obligations and costs that aren't always obvious when the deal is made.

In the final installment of this four-part Simply Trade Tips series, host Lalo Solorzano and Arthur O’Meara return to Incoterms® to examine DDP. Arthur, an Incoterms® instructor certified by the International Chamber of Commerce, explains why sellers need to understand a destination country's importer-of-record requirements before agreeing to DDP.

Using Canada as an example, Arthur explores non-resident importer registration and the potential impact of GST. He also explains an important distinction: free trade agreements may address duties, but that doesn't mean other taxes disappear.

The conversation then flips the scenario to U.S. imports, where Arthur explains why having a foreign supplier act as importer of record doesn't automatically reduce the dutiable value or eliminate the U.S. buyer's exposure to Customs questions.

The series ends with a straightforward lesson: do your homework before something goes wrong. Edit-16---Arthur-Lalo-Take-04 (…

Main Topic / Discussion
This episode focuses on DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and the obligations sellers can assume when agreeing to this Incoterms® rule.

Arthur explains that DDP places extensive responsibilities on the seller, including obligations surrounding import customs clearance. That can create an immediate complication when selling into countries that require an importer of record to maintain an in-country presence.

Even where non-resident importer provisions exist, additional tax considerations may arise. Arthur uses Canada to illustrate how an American seller could become a non-resident importer and still encounter GST obligations that are separate from customs duties.

Lalo and Arthur also discuss the importance of educating departments outside trade compliance—particularly sales and purchasing—so Incoterms® aren't selected simply because they make a transaction easier to close.

Finally, Arthur addresses the misconception that using a foreign supplier as importer of record into the United States automatically creates a lower dutiable value. His broader point: the Incoterms® rule and importer-of-record structure should be chosen strategically, not simply because they appear convenient. Edit-16---Arthur-Lalo-Take-04 (…

Key Takeaways
• DDP creates significant seller obligations: Understand what you're agreeing to before promising a customer that you'll “take care of everything.”

• Check importer-of-record requirements: Countries can have different rules governing whether a foreign seller can serve as importer of record.

• Duty-free doesn't necessarily mean tax-free: Arthur emphasizes that free trade agreements address duties, while other taxes such as VAT or GST can still apply.

• Train sales and purchasing teams: Incoterms® decisions shouldn't exist only within the trade compliance department. Commercial teams need to understand the consequences of the terms they negotiate.

• Don't assume changing the importer of record reduces dutiable value: Arthur explains why making the foreign supplier the importer of record does not automatically mean duties will be calculated using the supplier's production cost.

• Do your homework: “This is how we've always done it” isn't a substitute for understanding the transaction and preparing before something goes wrong.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• Incoterms® Training — Explore training on Incoterms® rules, buyer and seller responsibilities, risk, costs, and international transactions.

• Import Compliance Training — Training for professionals responsible for U.S. import compliance and Customs requirements.

Credits
Host:
Lalo Solorzano

Guest(s):
Arthur O’Meara - LinkedIn

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Lalo Solorzano
Guest(s): N/A
Published: September 25, 2026
Length: N/A
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
The writing has been on the wall for a while. This week, some of those warnings turned into dates, duty rates, filing requirements, and even an import prohibition.

With Cindy Allen traveling for the NCBFAA GAC conference, Lalo Solorzano takes over the weekly trade update — swapping Taylor Swift for Iron Maiden and looking at several developments that trade professionals can no longer leave in the “watching” category.

At the top of the list are new restrictions affecting certain Canadian goods. Beginning September 29, covered packaged alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles face exclusion from importation into the United States under Section 338 — moving the conversation beyond the earlier 50% additional duties.

Lalo also covers CBP’s upcoming electronic export manifest test for truck cargo, important AD/CVD developments involving products from China, Mexico, and India, and the October 6 launch date for Phase 3 of CBP’s CAPE process for certain finally liquidated IEEPA entries.

The message for trade professionals is straightforward: go back to your watch list. Yesterday’s developing issue may now have a deadline, a rate, a filing requirement, or a direct impact on whether goods can enter the country.

Main Topic / Discussion
This week’s developments demonstrate how quickly trade issues can move from proposals and preliminary actions into operational requirements.

Canadian Imports and Section 338
Beginning September 29, certain Canadian packaged alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles will be excluded from importation into the United States. The exact product coverage and HTS classification matter, and goods imported before the effective date may receive different treatment under the earlier 50% Section 338 duty.

For importers, this creates immediate questions around classification, shipment timing, entry status, sourcing, and product eligibility.

Electronic Export Manifests for Trucks
CBP will begin a roughly two-year electronic export manifest test for truck cargo on October 23, initially involving nine carriers.

Participating carriers will provide certain export-manifest information through ACE at least 24 hours before departure, with the complete manifest due no later than two hours before arrival at the final port of export.

The test reinforces a broader direction: CBP wants export information earlier, potentially requiring carriers, forwarders, USPPIs, and other parties to adjust their processes.

AD/CVD Developments
Commerce preliminarily determined that certain compacted graphite iron brake drums from China constitute later-developed merchandise circumventing existing AD/CVD orders.

Other developments include a preliminary 56.43% dumping margin in the administrative review of seamless refined copper pipe and tube from Mexico and final affirmative ITC injury determinations involving oleoresin paprika from India.

The lesson: AD/CVD exposure is not static. Product scope, rates, circumvention findings, and cases can change after a sourcing decision has been made.

IEEPA Refunds and CAPE Phase 3
CBP says CAPE Phase 3 is scheduled to open October 6 for certain finally liquidated entries tied to litigation.

This does not apply broadly to every importer with finally liquidated IEEPA entries. According to the episode, the phase currently applies to importers that filed their own lawsuit and have a court order permitting those entries to be reliquidated.

Affected companies should review entry coverage, importer-of-record information, and ACH refund information.

Key Takeaways
• Review Canadian imports now if your company handles products potentially covered by the September 29 Section 338 prohibition.

• Prepare for an environment where CBP increasingly expects export information earlier in the shipment process.

• Monitor AD/CVD cases continuously — product coverage, circumvention decisions, duty rates, and sourcing economics can change.

• Revisit your company’s compliance “watch list.” Developing issues may now have firm dates, rates, requirements, or restrictions requiring action.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• U.S. Department of Commerce

• U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)

• Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

• Customs Automated Processing of Entries (CAPE)

Credits
Host:
Lalo Solorzano

Guest(s):
N/A

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Lalo Solorzano & Andy Shiles
Guest(s): Humberto Caballero
Published: September 24, 2026
Length: ~33 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
CBP has put 64 questions before the trade community—but are they really just questions, or a preview of where U.S. import compliance is headed?

In this episode, Lalo Solorzano and Andy Shiles sit down with licensed customs broker Humberto Caballero of XP Logistics & Trade to unpack what these questions could mean for importers, customs brokers, manufacturers, and trade compliance teams.

Drawing on his experience with both U.S. and Mexican customs, Humberto boils the discussion down to three critical concepts: right to make entry, traceability, and accountability.

The conversation explores why CBP may increasingly expect importers to understand what happens before goods reach the U.S. border—including foreign export documentation, transaction values, supplier information, manufacturer identification, sourcing, and payment records.

The team also digs into the challenges surrounding Manufacturer Identification Numbers (MIDs), supplier due diligence, CTPAT, and the growing need for trade compliance professionals to have a seat at the table before sourcing and purchasing decisions are finalized.

The message for importers is clear: start preparing now rather than waiting for new requirements to arrive.

Main Topic / Discussion
CBP's 64 questions point toward a potentially significant evolution in how importers document, verify, and demonstrate compliance.

Humberto organizes the underlying issues into three areas: right to make entry, traceability, and accountability. Importers may need greater visibility into their foreign suppliers, export documentation, transaction history, sourcing, manufacturer information, and the parties receiving the economic benefit of a transaction.

The discussion also highlights the increasing importance of aligning trade compliance with purchasing, sourcing, logistics, and foreign operations. Instead of bringing compliance professionals in after a problem occurs, companies should involve them before suppliers are approved and transactions begin.

Particular attention is given to foreign documentation and Manufacturer Identification Numbers (MIDs). Inconsistent manufacturer information can create complications when companies, customs brokers, and government programs are trying to establish who actually manufactured or exported merchandise.

The episode also examines how U.S. compliance expectations appear to be moving toward greater traceability and how those expectations compare with practices Humberto has experienced in Mexico.

Key Takeaways
• Humberto summarizes the themes behind CBP's 64 questions as right to make entry, traceability, and accountability.

• Importers should understand not only what they are importing, but also who they are doing business with and how their suppliers source materials.

• Foreign export documentation, purchase orders, invoices, payment records, transaction values, and manufacturer information could become increasingly important parts of demonstrating traceability.

• Manufacturer Identification Numbers can become inconsistent when different parties construct an MID differently or use different addresses for the same company.

• Supplier due diligence should involve trade compliance—not just sourcing and purchasing.

• Companies should consider maintaining reliable supplier data such as foreign tax IDs, DUNS information, manufacturer details, and applicable MIDs in their internal systems.

• CTPAT continues to evolve beyond its original security focus, making traceability and trade compliance increasingly important considerations for participating companies.

• A strong trade compliance function can be a competitive advantage, particularly when compliance professionals are involved before transactions occur rather than being asked to fix problems afterward.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• Humberto Caballero on LinkedIn

• CBP's 64 questions and proposed import disclosure concepts discussed during the episode

• CTPAT and evolving trade compliance expectations

• Executive Order 14411, as discussed during the episode

Credits
Host:
Lalo Solorzano
Andy Shiles

Guest(s):
Humberto Caballero - LinkedIn

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

📢 Subscribe & Follow
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🎧 Listen on:

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💬 Connect with us:

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Don't forget to rate, review, and share with your fellow trade geeks!

Want to be on the show or have topic suggestions?
SimplyTrade@GlobalTrainingCenter.com