The AAPEX Webinar Series will present “Reducing Risk & Cost in the Global Supply Chain: Top 5 Strategies,” on Tuesday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. CST. Registration is required to attend the free webinar.

Thomas Cook, managing director of Blue Tiger International (bluetigerintl.com), will lead the webinar. Cook will explore and explain methods that companies can use to manage the costs of global trade.

The focus includes alternative sourcing, drawback, Foreign Trade Zones, tariff engineering, tariff classification reviews, freight options, freight consolidation, choosing the best Incoterm and robust demand planning. \

Cook teaches a “landed costs” approach to managing cost and risk, which includes assessing and analyzing all costs related to the supply chain, from acquisition, freight, customs clearance, duties and taxes, to inland freight, warehousing and distribution. 

Participants will learn:

• How to understand and work their landed costs
• How to identify and mitigate risk
• Whether nearsourcing is the right import strategy
• Controlling their export freight
• How to better negotiate

Blue Tiger International is an international business consulting company focusing on supply chain management, trade compliance, purchasing, trade and disruption management, global business and logistics. Cook was former CEO of American River International in New York and Apex Global Logistics Supply Chain Operation in Los Angeles. He has more than 35 years of experience in assisting companies all over the world manage their import and export operations. He is also the Director of the National Institute of World Trade (niwt.org), a 30-year-old educational and training organization based in New York.

Both Blue Tiger International and the National Institute of World Trade are strategic partners of the Department of Commerce. Cook has authored over 20 books on global trade and is finalizing a nine-book series titled, “The Global Warrior: Advancing on the Necessary Skill Sets to Compete Effectively in Global Trade.”

The AAPEX 2023 Education Online Webinar Series started in June and consists of four pre-event general education webinars to explore where the automotive aftermarket is headed. Previous webinars in the series include: “How Generative AI is Powering Innovation in Automotive Repair” and “Companies and the Culture Wars: How, or Whether, to Engage in Political and Social Discourse.” An additional webinar in October will conclude the series leading up to AAPEX in Las Vegas. 

AAPEX will take place Tuesday, Oct. 31 through Thursday, Nov. 2, at The Venetian Expo. 

About AAPEX
AAPEX unites the more than $1.8 trillion global automotive aftermarket industry and historically draws approximately 2,500 exhibiting companies from around the globe that display innovative products, services and technologies that keep the world’s 1.5 billion vehicles on the road. AAPEX provides advanced technical and business management training for professionals to maintain excellence and take their businesses to the next level. Industry buyers include automotive service and repair professionals, auto parts retailers, independent warehouse distributors, program groups, service chains, automotive dealers, fleet buyers and engine builders.