AI can demystify supply chain regulations for global businesses — if geopolitics don't get in the way

Getty Images China reacted to US import bans by targeting seven American firms, including Altana.

Altana's software helps companies manage visibility and compliance of their complex supply chains.

Wayfair collaborates with Altana's AI to trace supply chain risks and improve regulatory adherence.

Altana, a software company that helps brands like Wayfair map their global supply chains, has been barred by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce from doing business with individuals or companies in the country.

It's an example of how geopolitics continue to complicate the supply chain, even while technology advancements like AI offer new solutions .

The August 5 move came after the US banned imports from dozens of additional Chinese companies over alleged human rights abuses in late July 2026.

In addition to Altana, the six other companies on China's list are the nonprofits Responsible Business Alliance and Verité Group, the human-rights NGO Human Rights in China, and the natural-fiber lab-testing company Stratum Reservoir.

The countermeasures list also included Applied DNA Sciences, which recently changed its name to BNB Plus Corp and pivoted from fiber tracking to blockchain services in the cryptocurrency space.

Altana sells its software to businesses so they can uncover forced labor risks and meet strict regulatory compliance.

To do that, Altana collects and buys data points from businesses around the world, including in China.

The company's inclusion on the list could make it more difficult to provide some of this data to its clients, like Wayfair.

A Wayfair spokesperson told Business Insider, "While this is a new development, we remain committed to using technology to see deeper into and better understand our supply chain." Altana declined to provide a comment to Business Insider about the actions and how they will affect its software going forward, but did previously speak to Business Insider about the work it has been doing on supply chain mapping.

Demystifying hidden supply chain layers For a company like Wayfair — one that sources 40 million products globally from 20,000 suppliers — abiding by US government prohibitions requires continuous visibility and cross-checking across multiple supply chain tiers .

It's a complex process since the company "can't manage what we don't see," Evan Friedler, the director of regulatory and government affairs at Wayfair, told Business Insider during a July interview.