AI-powered trade compliance: Smarter answers with ONESOURCE

Trade compliance teams are being asked to do more, faster, with less room for error. The expectation has shifted: from back-office processor to strategic partner, from reactive to real-time. And the regulatory environment isn’t making it easier — tariff policy is shifting, executive orders are multiplying, and the window between “new rule” and “business impact” keeps shrinking.

ONESOURCE Global Trade Research powered by CoCounsel is built for exactly that moment.

Embedded directly within ONESOURCE Global Trade Content, Global Trade Research gives you instant, cited answers to complex regulatory questions — without leaving your existing workflow.

Jump to ↓What can Global Trade Research actually do?

How accurate is Global Trade Research?

Why do trade teams need this now?

How do I access it?

What can Global Trade Research actually do?

Ask it anything. ONESOURCE Global Trade Research handles the complex, multi-source research questions that typically take hours:

What are the current tariff rates for HTS 8708.29 from Mexico vs. China?
What FTA benefits apply to automotive parts from Mexico?
What has CBP issued on duty drawback procedures?
Does a recent executive order affect my supply chain?

It synthesizes information from a vast collection of vetted trade documents and Thomson Reuters proprietary content and returns a cited response in seconds. Sources include:

Federal Register notices
CBP CSMS messages
Executive orders
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (all 99 chapters)

This isn’t a general-purpose AI tool pointed at the web. Global Trade Research is purpose-built specifically for global trade compliance, and its knowledge base refreshes as regulations change, with average update times under one business day. When you ask a question, you get an answer you can act on.

How accurate is Global Trade Research?

The accuracy bar is high by design. Global Trade Research passed all six publicly available U.S. Customs Broker License Exams administered over the last three years — 18 total runs, with a mean score above 84% — including through two years of significant tariff and regulatory change. The exam covers thousands of pages of CBP regulations, directives, rulings, and procedures, and routinely sees pass rates as low as 2%.

“Trade teams are being asked to become strategic partners rather than operational functionaries. They need tools that can provide instant, accurate regulatory intelligence to support real-time business decisions.”

– Ray Grove, Head of Product, Global Tax and Trade, Thomson Reuters

This is Fiduciary-Grade AI™ in practice. Every answer is traceable. Every source is authoritative. The system is built to support decisions where being wrong carries real professional and financial consequence — and it performs accordingly.

Why do trade teams need this now?

The numbers from our 2026 Global Trade Report tell the full story of what trade teams are up against. Tariff volatility is the most impactful regulatory change cited by 72% of trade professionals surveyed — nearly double the 41% who said the same just a year earlier. Supply chain management has surged to the top strategic priority for 68% of trade professionals, up from 35% the prior year. And 76% believe current U.S. tariff approaches represent a permanent shift, not a temporary policy tool.

At the same time, trade teams are stretched. More than half say they’re dealing with increased workload and overtime requirements, and 49% report elevated stress and pressure on existing teams. Yet despite this pressure, only 7% of trade professionals say their organization is currently using software to stay current on tariff changes — leaving a significant gap between the pace of regulatory change and the tools in place to track it.

The organizations that will navigate this best aren’t the ones with the most headcount. They’re the ones with the best intelligence — and the tools to act on it quickly. The good news: 40% of trade departments are now actively exploring AI or blockchain technology to better manage trade functions, up from just 6% in 2024. The shift is already underway.

How do I access it?

Global Trade Research is available now through your existing ONESOURCE Global Trade Management platform. No new login. No new system to learn. No implementation project to kick off.

That’s by design. ONESOURCE is built as an integrated foundation — connecting regulatory content, AI-driven research, and operational workflows in one place — so every capability you add strengthens the platform you’re already running on. Global Trade Research is the latest expression of that: AI that’s embedded where your team already works, built to the same standard as the decisions it supports.

If you’re already using ONESOURCE, you’re one step away from faster, more confident answers when your business needs them most.