Simply Trade

Host: Cindy Allen
Guest(s): N/A
Published: October 23, 2026
Length: ~18 min
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
What happens when customs practices that once escaped close scrutiny become the focus of enforcement? In this episode of Simply Trade—Cindy’s Version, Cindy Allen turns to Taylor Swift’s “Karma” to explore a message importers, customs brokers, and freight forwarders cannot afford to overlook: compliance risk has a history.

Cindy connects the week’s tariff, court, and agency developments with a practical concern for trade teams—being ready to support their claims when questions arise, not just when the paperwork is normally finalized. She describes reports of shipments being stopped at the northern and southern borders for detailed valuation, origin, and trade agreement documentation, putting added pressure on release processes and after-hours coordination.

The discussion also considers what an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) settlement involving a freight forwarder can teach the industry about screening controls, and why reviewing today’s transactions is only part of the job. Historical import patterns, undervaluation, misclassification, and transshipment all feature in Cindy’s assessment of a more demanding enforcement environment.

This episode challenges listeners to look beyond routine filings and ask a bigger question: can your organization explain and support its trade decisions—past and present—when scrutiny arrives?

This Week in Trade
• White House developments: Cindy discusses possible Section 232 tariffs on wind turbines and parts, along with the administration’s approach to Russian oil and gas imports and the objections surrounding it.

• Tariff refund oversight: Cindy reviews lawmakers’ request for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) examination of IEEPA duty refunds, including refund accuracy, recipients, and whether money reached downstream consumers.

• Court challenges and refund access: The episode covers the Section 301 forced-labor case, the Section 338 tariff challenge involving Canada, and expanded CAPE 3 eligibility for additional Court of International Trade filings.

• Implementation and screening: Cindy discusses the entry type 13 deadline extension for mail importations and an OFAC settlement involving a freight forwarder’s sanctions-screening controls.

Main Topic / Discussion
Cindy’s central theme is customs karma: practices that may previously have been tolerated or overlooked are drawing closer attention in what she describes as a “zero trust” enforcement environment.

She explains why detailed documentation requests at the point of release can disrupt shipments when supporting records are normally assembled or shared later. Her emphasis is on documentation readiness, coordination with customs brokers, and understanding risks in both current transactions and historical import activity.

The discussion connects sanctions screening, undervaluation, misclassification, and transshipment to that broader enforcement focus. Cindy encourages listeners to review their policies and procedures, share examples of disruptive border holds through trade associations, and participate in enforcement-related rulemaking.

Key Takeaways
• Be ready to support your entry claims. Prepare accessible documentation for valuation, country of origin, free trade agreement qualification, and antidumping duty disclaimers.

• Review the past alongside the present. Cindy stresses that historical import patterns—not just current shipments—can become part of enforcement scrutiny.

• Look beyond a completed screening check. Review the policies, procedures, and screening frequency behind your technology.

• Coordinate before a shipment is stopped. Discuss document access and potential release-time questions with your customs broker, and share examples of problematic border holds through relevant trade associations.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• Cindy Allen on LinkedIn

• “Karma” by Taylor Swift — the inspiration for this episode’s trade theme.

• Trade Force Multiplier — Cindy’s company, mentioned as a resource for reviewing trade compliance risks.

Credits
Host:
Cindy Allen

Guest(s):
N/A

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Lalo Solorzano and Andy Shiles
Guest(s): Kyle Grobler
Published: October 22, 2026
Length: ~ 37 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
Being good at trade compliance and being known for that expertise are not the same thing. In this episode of Simply Trade, Lalo Solorzano and Andy Shiles welcome Kyle Grobler for a candid conversation about personal branding, professional visibility, and showing up—even when posting feels uncomfortable.

Kyle explains why he committed to sharing his experience on LinkedIn for six months, with one simple goal: help one other person. What followed included new connections, speaking opportunities, and offers for jobs he never applied for. But this is not a conversation about chasing viral posts. It is about making your knowledge useful to others and building relationships through consistent contribution.

The discussion moves from practical profile improvements and meaningful engagement to the human side of professional credibility: admitting mistakes, telling relatable stories, and letting people see the person behind the job title. Lalo shares his own discomfort with being visible, while Andy connects the conversation to sincere leadership and learning from frontline employees.

For trade, customs, and logistics professionals wondering whether they have anything worth sharing, this episode offers a different starting point: your everyday experience may be exactly what someone else needs. You do not have to wait until you feel ready—or until the new year—to begin.

Main Topic / Discussion
Kyle’s central message is that a personal brand grows through contribution, not just self-promotion. He discusses building a LinkedIn profile that explains the problems you solve, sharing lessons from your work, and engaging thoughtfully with other people’s content.

The conversation also goes beyond social media. Lalo and Andy explore how professional visibility connects to workplace credibility, communicating trade’s value, and building relationships with colleagues at every level. From acknowledging mistakes to listening to frontline employees, the emphasis stays on consistency, sincerity, and community—not perfection or popularity.

Key Takeaways
• Make your expertise easy to understand. Use your LinkedIn photo, banner, headline, and About section to communicate who you help, the problems you solve, and what you have accomplished.

• Share the lesson, not just the success. Experiences, mistakes, and what you learned along the way can offer another trade professional a useful starting point.

• Contribute more than you ask for. Thoughtful comments, meaningful responses, and genuine conversations build relationships beyond your own posts.

• Choose consistency over perfection. Keep showing up even when engagement is modest. Kyle’s focus is helping someone—not measuring every post against viral numbers.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center
• Connect with Kyle Grobler on LinkedIn

Credits
Host:
Lalo Solorzano
Andy Shiles

Guest(s):
Kyle Grobler - LinkedIn

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Lori Mullins
Guest(s): Leah Ellis and Dave Corn
Published: October 21, 2026
Length: Approximately 33 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
What happens when a trade policy decision reaches the people responsible for making it work? In this special Simply Trade collaboration with the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), host Lori Mullins sits down with Legislative Committee Chair Leah Ellis and Co-Chair Dave Corn to connect the daily realities of trade with the conversations taking place on Capitol Hill.

Coming out of NCBFAA’s 2026 Government Affairs Conference, Leah and Dave explain why advocacy is a year-round effort—and why firsthand experience matters when lawmakers are weighing changes. The discussion explores the push for more advance notice before tariff changes, the downstream effects on drawback and the broader duty life cycle, and the challenge of strengthening customs enforcement without making legitimate trade harder to facilitate.

At the center of the conversation is a practical question: Who is best positioned to explain what happens at the entry desk, inside a brokerage operation, or when an importer faces an unexpected change?

Leah and Dave make the case that you do not need a government affairs title to contribute. You need real examples, a willingness to speak up, and the commitment to keep the conversation going after the meeting ends.

Main Topic / Discussion
This episode goes behind the scenes of NCBFAA’s legislative advocacy, showing how members’ operational experiences help inform the association’s conversations with lawmakers.

Lori, Leah, and Dave discuss NCBFAA’s request for at least 30 days’ advance notice of tariff changes, the importance of considering the entire duty life cycle, and the balance between customs enforcement and trade facilitation. Their enforcement discussion includes a verified importer-of-record registry and the position that CBP should determine importer eligibility using government information unavailable to brokers.

They also explain what happens after the Capitol Hill meetings: sharing concrete examples, answering staffers’ questions, maintaining local relationships, and following up throughout the year.

Key Takeaways
• Tariff notice is an operational issue. NCBFAA’s request for at least 30 days of advance notice is about giving brokers, importers, software providers, and CBP time to prepare for implementation.

• The duty life cycle does not end at entry. Dave explains why drawback, corrections, reconciliation, refunds, and recordkeeping need a place in tariff-policy conversations.

• Effective enforcement needs clear responsibilities. The guests support appropriate broker due diligence while arguing that CBP should determine importer eligibility using information brokers cannot access.

• Advocacy requires participation and persistence. Bring real-world examples, get involved through committees and local associations, and follow up with congressional offices after the conference.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• NCBFAA Legislative Committee and Committee Directory NCBFAA

• How to Get Involved in an NCBFAA Committee NCBFAA

Credits
Host:
Lori Mullins

Guest(s):
Leah Ellis - LinkedIn
Dave Corn - LinkedIn

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Lalo Solorzano
Guest(s): Josh Rodman, Schulz Trade Law
Published: October 20, 2026
Length: Approximately 18 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
You checked your customer’s name against a restricted-party list. But do you know who owns that company?

In Episode 3 of 90 Days Until 2027, Lalo Solorzano welcomes Josh Rodman of Schulz Trade Law to discuss the BIS affiliates rule and what exporters can do to prepare. Recorded while the rule was suspended, the conversation looks beyond the name on the invoice to ownership structures, potential licensing requirements, and risks that can exist even when a subsidiary is legally separate from its parent.

Josh brings the issue to life through a client’s proposed sale of approximately $250,000 in electrical power equipment to a Chinese-owned subsidiary in Jamaica. The example leads to a critical question: what happens when a deal is signed before a rule takes effect, but the goods ship afterward?

Lalo and Josh also explore the limitations of relying on screening tools alone, the importance of understanding different restricted-party lists, and why uncertainty about implementation is not a reason to postpone preparation.

This week’s tip is to start investigating the ownership of your overseas counterparties now. Understanding those relationships can help your team identify questions that need attention before a transaction reaches the shipping stage.

Main Topic / Discussion
Knowing your customer’s name is not the same as understanding its ownership.

Josh explains how the BIS affiliates rule would extend restrictions to certain unlisted companies based on ownership of 50% or more, including aggregated ownership. His Jamaica example illustrates why a subsidiary’s separate legal identity and location do not answer every export-compliance question.

The discussion also covers export timing, the uncertainty surrounding any future temporary general license, and the possibility that a subsidiary could serve as a route for goods to reach a restricted parent. Josh recommends investigating ownership now and reviewing the distinctions among the Entity List, Military End-User List, and SDN List.

Rule-status clarification — checked October 20, 2026: The published BIS suspension notice runs through November 9, 2026, with reinstatement scheduled for November 10, 2026, absent further action. The possible extension discussed in the recording should not be treated as an announced change. Check for subsequent BIS updates before relying on these dates. Federal Register

Scope clarification: The episode refers broadly to the SDN List. For the BIS affiliates rule specifically, the published text identifies SDN designations under the programs listed in EAR § 744.8(a)(1), rather than every SDN designation. Federal Register

Key Takeaways
• Look beyond the customer’s name. Josh recommends examining ownership layers and percentages—not assuming a name-only screening result resolves the affiliates-rule question.

• Signing a contract does not settle export eligibility. Josh explains why the date of export matters and why any applicable temporary general license would need to be evaluated separately.

• A suspended rule does not eliminate other risks. The conversation highlights diversion concerns when an otherwise separate subsidiary could help an Entity List parent obtain goods.

• Understand what each list actually restricts. Josh encourages exporters to review the Entity List, Military End-User List, and SDN List rather than treating them as interchangeable—or assuming every listing prohibits every kind of business.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center

• Josh Rodman — LinkedIn

• Josh Rodman — Schulz Trade Law

• BIS Affiliates Rule — Published Rule and Scope

• BIS — One-Year Suspension of the Affiliates Rule

• OFAC — 50 Percent Rule FAQs

Follow Simply Trade for updates on companion resources and the planned 90 Days Until 2027 playbook.

This episode provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Verify the requirements applicable to your transaction.

Credits
Host:
Lalo Solorzano

Guest(s):
Josh Rodman - LinkedIn

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

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Host: Pete Mento and Cindy Allen
Guest(s): N/A
Published: October 16, 2026
Length: ~43 min.
Presented by: Global Training Center

Summary
Recorded live at VMA26 in Norfolk, Pete Mento and Cindy Allen bring the Pete and Cindy Show to the conference stage for a candid, no-spin conversation about tariffs, refunds, enforcement, and what importers should do next. They unpack Sections 301, 232, 122, and 338 as tools of leverage, revenue, national security, and industrial policy—and question whether the current tariff strategy is producing the promised reshoring results. VMA26 brought shipping, port, logistics, and trade leaders together under the theme “Anchored: Grounded in Strategy. Ready for What’s Next.” Va Maritime

The discussion turns practical as Pete and Cindy examine IEEPA refunds following the Supreme Court’s 2026 ruling, ACH setup, liquidation risk, and the need to involve trade counsel before money is left on the table. Then comes the warning: CBP, DOJ, BIS, and other agencies are using better data, deeper supply-chain visibility, and faster analytics in an increasingly enforcement-first environment. Supreme Court

They also explore CBP’s advanced-data proposals, including foreign export documentation and supplier information that could reshape procurement, contracts, forwarding, and entry processes. Their advice is direct: engage suppliers now, strengthen cooperation clauses, evaluate service providers for compliance—not just price—and invest in people, systems, and lawful duty-mitigation tools. The line that captures the entire session: hope is not a strategy. Federal Register

This Week in Trade
• The IEEPA tariff ruling and the ongoing duty-refund process
• Sections 301, 232, 122, and 338 as tools of leverage, revenue, and national security
• CBP’s proposed heightened import disclosures and foreign export-document requirements
• Expanding compliance expectations for importers, brokers, forwarders, and carriers

Main Topic / Discussion
This live discussion connects tariff policy directly to operational execution. Pete and Cindy argue that tariffs, refunds, data collection, supply-chain relationships, and enforcement can no longer be managed as separate issues.

Tariffs as leverage

The hosts examine how different tariff authorities are being used to influence negotiations, protect strategic industries, raise revenue, encourage domestic production, and reshape trade relationships with China, Canada, Mexico, and other partners.

Refunds and lawful mitigation

Pete and Cindy discuss the IEEPA refund process and the importance of reviewing affected entries, ACH information, liquidation status, and available legal options. They also highlight drawback, first sale, reconciliation, and foreign-trade zones as strategies companies should evaluate with qualified advisers.

Enforcement powered by data

The conversation explores how ACE data, supply-chain mapping, anomaly detection, and interagency coordination are increasing the government’s ability to identify discrepancies. The hosts warn that companies should expect faster, more targeted enforcement across both imports and exports.

Advanced data and shared responsibility

CBP’s ANPRM raises questions about foreign export declarations, invoices, classifications, values, certificates of origin, business identifiers, and earlier filing. Pete and Cindy explain why these proposals could affect procurement, supplier contracts, freight forwarding, carrier operations, and customs entry processes—not only the trade compliance department. The public comment period ends December 1, 2026. Federal Register

Key Takeaways
• Hope is not a strategy. Importers should model tariff exposure, prepare for continued enforcement, and build plans that do not depend on duties simply disappearing.

• Review potentially eligible IEEPA entries, confirm ACH refund information, monitor liquidation status, and involve trade counsel when administrative or judicial action may be necessary.

• Begin supplier outreach now. Determine who holds foreign export records, add government-cooperation and data-sharing language to contracts, and consider commenting on CBP’s ANPRM before December 1, 2026.

• Evaluate brokers, forwarders, and carriers for their compliance programs, escalation procedures, recordkeeping, and willingness to challenge questionable instructions—not solely their rates and service levels. The importer of record remains ultimately responsible.

Resources & Mentions
• Global Training Center
• VMA26 International Trade Symposium
• Supreme Court Opinion — Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump
• CBP — IEEPA Duty Refunds
• Federal Register — Heightened Import Disclosures for Supply Chain Visibility
• White House — Strengthening Customs Enforcement Fact Sheet

Credits
Host:
Pete Mento
Cindy Allen

Guest(s):
N/A

Producer:
Lalo Solorzano

📢 Subscribe & Follow
Stay connected with the Simply Trade community and never miss an episode that helps you trade smarter.

🎧 Listen on:

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💬 Connect with us:

• Simply Trade
• Global Training Center
• Trade Geeks Community

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