How AI-powered trade intelligence helps you find better suppliers, faster

In today’s rapidly shifting trade landscape, the ability to find trustworthy suppliers isn’t just helpful—it’s mission-critical. Between rising tariffs, supply chain disruption, and growing scrutiny over sourcing practices, procurement and operations teams are under pressure to make faster, smarter decisions.

That’s where trade data—and now AI—comes in.

In our recent webinar, we introduced the Genius Company Profiler: a new AI-powered tool designed to help companies uncover, evaluate, and compare suppliers using real-time trade intelligence. Whether you're exploring new sourcing markets or analyzing competitor activity, this tool brings clarity to complex global trade decisions.

Here’s a breakdown of what we covered, and why it matters.

The current reality: supply chain risk is growing

Trade has gone from a back-office function to a front-page topic. As our Chief Product & Technology Officer, James Orr, noted during the webinar, “If we thought the Suez Canal incident made people pay attention to trade, today’s tariff environment is on a whole other level.”

Costs are rising. Strategies are shifting. Even industry giants like Apple are trying to adjust their manufacturing base in real-time. But for small and mid-sized businesses—who often don’t have the same buffers—this moment is particularly high-stakes.

What they need isn’t more data. They need clarity.

The role of AI in trade data: from raw inputs to actionable insight

Trade data has always been valuable. A single bill of lading can confirm the movement of goods from one point to another. But companies are rarely working with just one. They’re looking at thousands—or millions—of records.

Traditionally, identifying suppliers meant scouring those records for names, addresses, or patterns—then doing the heavy lifting to research each lead. That’s slow, messy, and easy to get wrong.

The Genius Company Profiler changes that.

It uses AI agents to gather, validate, and summarize publicly available business information—layering it directly on top of our trade data platform. So instead of seeing just a company name on a shipment, you get context: product focus, shipment history, financial signals, contact info, customer relationships, and more.

Top 3 takeaways from the webinar

1. AI enhances—not replaces—good data
   ImportGenius users already work with one of the most complete and timely trade data sets available. AI adds a layer of speed, structure, and scale—especially for researching long-tail or international suppliers that are often missing from traditional databases.
   
2. Supplier intelligence isn’t just about cost
   In one example, we explored textile sourcing beyond China. AI helped pinpoint two major Indian suppliers, validate their shipment consistency to the U.S., and identify their top customers (including Walmart and IKEA)—all critical signals of reliability in uncertain times.
   
3. Trade data can drive strategic timing
   Another example focused on olive oil imports. By analyzing shipping patterns, our team uncovered that a competitor was selling to Costco under a white-label brand—specifically every June. That insight alone opens a window for competitors to pitch Costco before their next buying cycle.
   

What this means for your business

The Genius Company Profiler doesn’t just help you find suppliers—it helps you understand them.

You can explore:

• Which suppliers are gaining share in specific industries
• Who their customers are (and how often they ship)
• How financially stable or diversified they are
• When to engage them based on shipment timing

You can also use the tool for competitor analysis, market research, or strategic planning—making it a versatile resource across sourcing, sales, and executive teams.

Watch the full webinar on demand

Want to see it in action? The full session—including live demos, Q&A, and real-world sourcing examples—is now available to stream.

Access the on-demand webinar recording here.

Or, if you’re ready for a deeper dive, book a personalized demo with our team to explore how AI-powered supplier intelligence can work for your business.