How we behave, together.

1. Purpose and Mission

The Global Trade Management Network (“The GTM Network”) exists to provide a private, vetted, and high-trust environment in which trade compliance, customs, and global trade professionals can exchange real-world insights and solve complex problems together.

This Code of Conduct (the “Code”) sets out the standards of behavior we expect from every Member, in every interaction within the Network. Compliance with this Code is a condition of membership and is binding alongside our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

2. Core Principles

All interactions within the Network shall reflect the following principles:

• Confidentiality. Information shared inside the Network stays inside the Network.
• Respect. Members treat one another with professional courtesy at all times.
• Reciprocity. Members contribute as much as they take. Asking for help is welcome; never giving back is not.
• Integrity. Members do not misrepresent themselves, their employer, their qualifications, or any information they share.
• Lawfulness. Members comply at all times with applicable laws, including sanctions, export controls, and anti-corruption laws.
• Independence. No Member or guest may use the Network to advance the commercial interests of any party other than as expressly permitted by The GTM Network.

3. Expected Behaviors

Members are expected to:

• Engage thoughtfully and constructively in discussions;
• Cite sources where appropriate when referencing legal or regulatory positions;
• Disclose any actual or perceived conflict of interest in a discussion in which they participate;
• Use accurate, professional language;
• Respect each other’s time, expertise, and seniority;
• Acknowledge and credit the contributions of others when reusing insights;
• Report suspected violations of this Code (see Section 9).

4. Prohibited Conduct

The following behaviors are strictly prohibited and may result in suspension or termination of membership without prior notice:

• Sales, marketing, prospecting, or recruiting. Direct or indirect commercial solicitation of Members, including pitching products or services, scraping contact information, or sourcing candidates, is prohibited.
• Disclosure of Network content outside the Network. Sharing posts, screenshots, recordings, summaries, or attributable content from inside the Network on social media, in newsletters, in podcasts, in client materials, or in any public forum, is prohibited.
• Sharing of privileged, confidential, or restricted information. Members must not post information protected by attorney-client privilege, employment confidentiality obligations, third-party non-disclosure agreements, sanctions, export controls, or any other legal restriction.
• Discussion that could amount to anti-competitive conduct. Members must not exchange competitively sensitive information that could give rise to anti-competitive coordination, including current or future pricing, customers, bids, market allocations, or commercial strategy.
• Personal data of third parties. Members must not share personal data of identifiable individuals (including customers, suppliers, employees, or counterparties) without a lawful basis and the necessary consents.
• Harassment, discrimination, or hate speech. Conduct that targets a Member or other person based on race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic is prohibited.
• Intimidation, threats, doxing, or stalking. Including any online or offline conduct intended to harm or intimidate another Member.
• Fraud or misrepresentation. Including impersonation, false credentials, fake employment, or material omissions about your role or employer.
• Disclosure of identities or attribution. Members must not name, link to, or otherwise identify another Member’s specific contributions outside the Network without that Member’s prior written consent.
• Interference with the Network. Including attempts to bypass moderation, security, or access controls.
• Generative-AI misuse. See Section 7 below.

5. Confidentiality Obligations

By accepting this Code, you reaffirm and accept that:

• All Member Content shared inside the Network is confidential, even if not expressly marked as such;
• You will not share, publish, summarize, screenshot, record, or refer to the substance of any Network discussion outside the Network without explicit written consent;
• The duty of confidentiality survives termination of your membership and continues indefinitely;
• Breach of confidentiality is a material violation of this Code and the Terms of Service and may result in immediate termination, with no entitlement to refund of any fees paid, and may give rise to legal action.

6. Sensitive and Restricted Information

Members are personally responsible for ensuring that any information they share in the Network is properly cleansed of:

• Names of specific shippers, consignees, customers, suppliers, counterparties, or competitors;
• Live deal terms, current pricing, or non-public commercial strategy;
• Information that would breach any non-disclosure agreement or duty owed to an employer or client;
• Information that would be sanctioned, restricted, or controlled for export under applicable law;
• Personal data subject to data-protection laws.

When in doubt, do not share. Anonymize or generalize where possible.

7. AI Tools and Generated Content

Members are expected to use any AI-enabled features made available by The GTM Network responsibly:

• Treat AI-generated outputs as a starting point only and verify before relying on them;
• Do not present AI-generated content as a Member’s professional opinion;
• Do not paste confidential, sanctioned, or personal data into third-party AI systems;
• Do not use Network content (including posts, briefings, threads, or directories) to train external AI models without explicit written authorization from The GTM Network;
• Identify AI-generated content as such when contributing it to a thread.

8. Compliance with Laws

Members shall comply at all times with all applicable laws, regulations, and orders, including:

• Sanctions regimes, including UN, US OFAC, EU, UK, UAE, and any others applicable to the Member;
• Export controls, including dual-use, ITAR, EAR, and equivalent;
• Anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws;
• Competition and antitrust laws;
• Data protection and privacy laws;
• Employment, labor, and confidentiality obligations owed to the Member’s employer.

If you become aware of a sanctions screening match, an enforcement action involving you, or any matter that may materially affect your eligibility for the Network, notify us at [email protected].

9. Reporting Violations

If you witness or suspect a violation of this Code:

• Report it promptly to [email protected];
• Where possible, provide objective evidence (timestamps, screenshots in private to The GTM Network only, and descriptions of the conduct);
• Do not engage in retaliation against any Member who reports a suspected violation in good faith;
• Reports will be treated as confidential and reviewed objectively.

We may, but are not obliged to, share the outcome of an investigation with the reporter.

10. Enforcement and Sanctions

We will investigate reported or suspected violations and may take any combination of the following actions, in our sole discretion:

• Private warning;
• Public notice within the Network;
• Removal of specific content;
• Temporary suspension of access;
• Permanent termination of membership;
• Referral to applicable law-enforcement, regulatory, or professional bodies;
• Civil or other legal action.

The decision regarding the appropriate response shall consider the severity of the violation, the Member’s prior record, the impact on other Members, and any aggravating or mitigating factors.

For severe or repeated violations, including breach of confidentiality, anti-competitive conduct, harassment, or commercial misuse, we may proceed directly to termination without prior warning.

11. Appeals

Where a sanction has been imposed against you, you may submit a written appeal to [email protected] within fifteen (15) days of the notice of sanction. Appeals are reviewed by an independent reviewer designated by The GTM Network. Decisions on appeal are final.

12. Updates and Contact

We may update this Code from time to time to reflect operational, legal, or community needs. We will post the updated Code with a new “Effective Date” and notify active Members.

For questions about this Code:

The Global Trade Management Network (“The GTM Network”)
Email: [email protected]