Covid-19 is disrupting global flows of goods and people at an unprecedented scale. During the War on Terror, the government invested in technology to keep borders open and trade flowing. Our current pandemic requires a similar investment in a new generation of data infrastructure. If we can stitch together the right data, we can put an end to conversations about closing borders or subjecting large numbers of people and goods to draconian one-size-fits all quarantines and travel bans.

In this conversation between Ari Schuler, the creator and former head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Innovation Team (INVNT) and VP of Emerging Markets at Daon and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss how customs and trade are are being affected by Covid-19 and the important role new data streams will play in helping CBP respond to future pandemics.