Hosts: Andy Shiles & Lalo Solorzano
Guest: Vincent “Vinny” Annunziato – Former CBP Director, Trade Technology Leader, Founder of Digital Supply Chain Innovations (DSCI), SVP at Profit Trust
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentrobertannunziato/
Published : March 19, 2026
Length: ~35 minutes
Presented by: Global Training Center

🧠 Episode Summary

In this episode of Simply Trade, we sit down with Vincent “Vinny” Annunziato for his first appearance post-retirement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Vinny reflects on a remarkable career shaping some of the most impactful trade modernization efforts, including the Single Window initiative, and shares behind-the-scenes insights into how these systems were built, challenged, and ultimately delivered.

Now on the private sector side, Vinny discusses his transition, his new work with Profit Trust, and how companies can uncover hidden opportunities for duty recovery and cost savings.

The conversation also dives deep into AI in trade compliance, cutting through the hype to explain what actually works today—and what doesn’t. From large language models to human-assisted decision-making, Vinny brings a practical, no-nonsense perspective that trade professionals can immediately apply.

🔑 Key Learnings

The real story behind the Single Window and how it transformed multi-agency trade data
Why collaboration between government and industry changed the game in customs processing
How innovation works inside government—and why not everything makes it to production
The truth about AI in trade compliance (and why most companies are using it wrong)
Why “Human-Assisted Technology (HAT)” may be the smarter way to think about AI
The importance of data quality and business context before applying AI solutions
How companies are using tools like duty recovery and audit analytics to improve their bottom line

💡 Key Takeaways

AI is not a magic solution—it’s only as good as the data and business logic behind it
Trade compliance decisions—especially classification—must remain human-led
Innovation requires balancing technical vision with real-world business application
The future of trade lies in connected, interoperable global data systems
There are still significant untapped opportunities for companies to recover duties and reduce costs

🔗 Resources & Mentions

Profit Trust (duty recovery & shipping optimization solutions)
ACE (Automated Commercial Environment)
Single Window Initiative
ITDS (International Trade Data System)
Lacey Act (referenced in system design discussion)

🎧 Credits

Hosts:

Lalo Solorzano – LinkedIn
Andy Shiles – LinkedIn

Guest:

Vincent “Vinny” Annunziato – Former CBP Director, Trade Technology Leader, Founder of Digital Supply Chain Innovations (DSCI), SVP at Profit Trust
LinkedIn

Producer:

Lalo Solorzano

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Presented by: Global Training Center — providing education, consulting, workshops, and compliance resources for trade professionals.
👉 www.GlobalTrainingCenter.com

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