Global Trade This Week – Episode 247: Jonathan Gold on Retail Supply Chains, Tariffs, AI, and the New Normal

3:00 -Retail’s Shared Challenges: Trade, Theft, Cyber & Supply Chain 11:38 -Resilience vs. Efficiency in the New Normal 17:14 -AI in Retail: Practical Tools, Not Magic Solutions 20:43 -Halftime 23:30 -Supply Chain Myths, Tariff Policy & Organized Retail Crime

In this special interview edition of Global Trade This Week, Doug Draper is joined by Jonathan Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy at the National Retail Federation. Gold represents the retail industry on supply chain, international trade, product safety, customs, and transportation policy issues, and has been a leading voice on the value of trade and global supply chains to the U.S. economy.

The conversation begins with a look at the scope of the NRF, the world’s largest retail trade association, and the wide range of businesses it supports, from small independent stores to major national retailers, restaurants, digital brands, and more. Gold explains how NRF helps retailers navigate shared challenges including tariffs, cyber risk, labor, asset protection, cargo theft, and retail crime.

A major theme throughout the interview is the reality that disruption has become part of the operating environment. Gold notes that retailers are no longer planning around a return to “normal” as it existed before 2019. Instead, they are building supply chains for a world defined by uncertainty, shifting tariff policy, changing consumer behavior, earlier peak seasons, and the need to stay prepared for whatever comes next.

Doug and Jonathan also discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence in retail operations. Rather than treating AI as a universal solution, Gold emphasizes a more practical approach: identify the problem first, then determine where AI can help. From supply chain auditing to loss prevention and workforce productivity, retailers are looking for targeted ways to use technology while still keeping human judgment in the loop.

The episode also explores organized retail crime, cargo theft, and the importance of collaboration between retailers, law enforcement, solution providers, and policymakers. Gold highlights the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act as one of the key policy efforts currently moving through Washington, with the potential to strengthen coordination across federal agencies and support state and local enforcement efforts.

Finally, Gold offers a clear reminder about one of the biggest myths in supply chain: products do not simply appear on shelves. Retail supply chains are complex, global, and often planned six to nine months in advance. Policy changes, sourcing shifts, logistics capacity, port infrastructure, compliance requirements, and consumer demand all play a role in what ultimately reaches the customer.

Watch the full interview for a thoughtful look at the intersection of retail, trade policy, supply chain resilience, and the decisions shaping the future of global commerce. www.capwwide.com/international-insights/6/15/26/gttw-podcast-episode-247