Executive Commentary |
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“ We see AI not as a replacement, but as an enabler.”
Uri Appelbaum
“ Volatility isn’ t a blip; it’ s now the operating system.”
Ian Arroyo
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eezyimport
Uri Appelbaum
CEO www. eezyimport. com
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping logistics, but its greatest value today lies in taking the friction out of repetitive, time-consuming tasks. We’ ve seen firsthand how AI tools like advanced OCR and natural language processing can transform customs clearance. Importers tell us that what used to take hours of manual data entry now takes minutes, freeing them to focus on running their businesses rather than wrestling with forms. One customer put it simply:“ I filed my own importing information in literally five steps.”
That efficiency comes from AI’ s strength in processing and structuring large amounts of unstructured data. At scale, this means faster filings, fewer errors and more transparency, all the
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things that mid-sized importers— who make up the vast majority of US shippers— have long been asking for.
But AI also has its limits. It can’ t replace human judgment when it comes to strategic decision-making, nor can it resolve the complexities of regulatory gray areas on its own. Customs clearance, for example, isn’ t just about reading a form correctly. It’ s about interpreting shifting regulations and understanding the broader trade environment. That’ s why we see AI not as a replacement, but as an enabler. AI is a partner that helps importers operate more efficiently while people continue to provide oversight, context and trust.
Ultimately, AI in ocean shipping and logistics should be measured not by how futuristic it sounds, but by how much time, money and stress it saves the people moving goods around the world. On that front, the progress is already very real.
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sustainable value. Now, as funding tightens, technology firms are being challenged to prove that innovation can stand on its own economics.
That’ s a healthy correction. Logistics remains one of the most complex, datarich sectors in the world. Its problems haven’ t gone away, they’ ve simply shifted from being addressed by capital velocity to being solved through operational and customer intimacy. The winning firms are those that embed alongside their customers co-developing tools that create measurable impact: faster turns, smarter networks, better asset utilization.
In this environment, value creation trumps valuation or buzz-worthy technology. Providers are finding new revenue in insight-as-a-service models, workflow automation and appropriately applied AI that cuts costs while expanding customer potential. It’ s a shift from chasing market share to earning staying power.
The sector’ s best innovators will emerge stronger, and by that I mean leaner, more disciplined and better aligned with the real economics of global trade. The end of easy money is not the end of momentum. It’ s the start of a more grounded, durable era of logistics technology.
Freightos
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Ian Arroyo
Chief Strategy Officer www. freightos. com
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“ Value creation trumps valuation or buzz-worthy technology.”
Alex Cheesman
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Yet, its capabilities are not without limits. At its best, AI enhances efficiency, visibility and predictability across the supply chain. Machine learning, rule-based logic and system mapping can automate customs declarations, thus reduce manual input and accelerate clearance.
AI also strengthens predictive capabilities. By analyzing historical and real-time data, it can forecast delays, optimize routing and support proactive decision-making. This is especially valuable in ocean freight, where disruptions are frequent and costly.
However, AI is not a silver bullet. It still struggles with contextual complexity and data inconsistency. Human expertise remains essential for handling exceptions, interpreting ambiguous data and navigating regulatory nuances.
Moreover, AI’ s effectiveness is tightly bound to data quality. In global logistics, where formats and standards vary widely, poor data can undermine even the most advanced models. That’ s why enterprise data platforms( EDP)
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play a critical role. EDPs provide a scalable, secure and governed foundation for enterprise-wide data products, enabling real-time, event-driven data flows across business domains. It ensures that AI solutions are built on consistent, high-quality data- a prerequisite for reliable automation and intelligent decision-making.
Endava
Alex Cheesman
Industry Adviser www. endava. com
The venture capital cooldown has brought logistics technology back to reality— and to opportunity. For much of the past decade, easy capital rewarded rapid scaling over
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Volatility isn’ t a blip; it’ s now the operating system. As one example, over the past three years, Freightos Baltic Index China – US lanes have seen swings of $ 800 or more eleven times. With Red Sea reroutes, Panama Canal draft limits, labor flareups and tariff whiplash, customers need speed and options faster than ever.
AI helps. It turns visibility into action. It can tighten ETA ranges, triage exceptions, price risk, recommend the next best move— whether reallocating from spot to contract, auto-rebooking, or shift port pairs— and then execute, all in seconds. It learns policies and plays them at machine speed, cutting time and enabling dynamic network redesign in six-month cycles.
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