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New DHL AI Tool Analyzes Customs Tariff Data

[ September 18, 2026   //   ]

DHL Global Forwarding has launched an artificial intelligence-based tool that allows shippers to use natural-language queries to analyze customs declarations, tariff exposure, duty spending and clearance performance across global operations.

TradeNavigator operates within DHL’s TradeConnect platform, which integrates local customs declaration data from more than 75 countries into a harmonized environment. Customers can query the data down to individual declaration line items and receive analytics and charts without manually combining reports and spreadsheets.

DHL said users could, for example, ask where they are paying the highest customs duties, identify the countries or product categories responsible and then drill into the underlying transactions. The system also can identify countries with longer customs-clearance cycles and help locate recurring bottlenecks.

“Customs data is one of the most underutilized sources of supply chain intelligence,” said Greg Nichols, senior vice president global customs at DHL Global Forwarding. He said pilot customers used the system to uncover previously unidentified duty-spending patterns, recurring clearance bottlenecks and tariff exposure across trade lanes.

The launch comes as companies face increased tariff and customs complexity. DHL cited Thomson Reuters research finding 72 percent of businesses considered tariff volatility their most significant regulatory change, while 65 percent were changing sourcing patterns to mitigate tariff exposure.

DHL said TradeNavigator operates within its secure data environment and is intended to supplement rather than replace customs professionals. The company has more than 4,000 customs specialists handling more than 30,000 declarations daily.

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