Benesch Transportation & Logistics Vice Chair Jonathan Todd was a featured panelist this week on Nasdaq’s TradeTalks, joining host Jill Malandrino for a live discussion on the evolving legal and policy landscape impacting transportation, trade and global supply chains.
Broadcast live from Nasdaq’s MarketSite studio in Times Square, the conversation explored the legal and operational implications of shifting tariff policies, geopolitical volatility, cyber risks and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in modern supply chains.
“The number one challenge right now, what I’m seeing across clients, is simply awareness,” Jonathan noted during the discussion. “There are so many drivers of change today for global supply chains. It can be U.S. policy on sanctions. It could be U.S. policy on export controls. Certainly, U.S. policy on imports. Tariffs are top of mind for everyone today. And then just the modernization of supply chains, integrating AI and technology as best as we can to build the very best, most durable supply chains on a global basis. These are incredible times. I think a lot of folks are doing it well, but there's a lot up in the air, and we need to see where the dust settles.”
Jonathan also highlighted how legal fragmentation, particularly around biometric technology and AI governance, is creating compliance challenges for companies trying to operate facilities across the U.S.
“Today, compliance across the country is fragmented. That's hard to manage from a corporate perspective, and if you take a step back from the global perspective, you do have a more blanket approach in some regions of the world that we just don't have here. This may change. I think that's a crystal ball question. But if it does, then that would lead to greater certainty and greater ability to deploy capital for CAPEX and for R&D.”
Additional topics included the chilling effect of tariff uncertainty on investment, the challenges facing small and mid-size businesses, and the opportunities for more effective public-private collaboration.
Watch the full interview here: The Intersection of Transportation, Trade, and Supply Chain Policies | Nasdaq.