Supply Chain, Geopolitics & the Hidden AAM Opportunity — With Matt Lapin, International Trade Counsel at Wiley Rein

Tell us more about yourself and what you would like to hear!Matt Lapin is a counsel at Wiley Rein in Washington DC with a long background in international trade law — and in a sector where supply chain complexity, China de-risking, rare earth dependencies, and regulatory actions are reshaping everything, his perspective cuts through in ways the standard industry coverage doesn't reach.We cover what supply chain actually means for a disruptive emerging technology, why COVID was the first real proof that globalized supply chains were more fragile than anyone admitted, and how the US-China geopolitical conflict is producing both constraint and genuine opportunity for AAM manufacturers and operators.Matt breaks down the FCC's action against DJI, what the American Drone Dominance executive order signals about how the current administration views eVTOL, and why reading the policy two levels underneath the headline is the most important analytical skill anyone in this sector can develop right now.His closing advice: understand the rules that are actually in play — not the ones you assumed were in play a year ago — and challenge every first principle your strategy was built on, because uncertainty is no longer the exception. It's the operating condition.In this episode:0:00 — The Trade Law Nerd Who Ended Up in Advanced Air Mobility0:08 — Inside Wiley Rein: How International Trade Law Shapes Emerging Tech1:08 — What "Supply Chain" Actually Means — And Why Everyone Gets It Wrong3:22 — COVID's Real Legacy: The First Stress Test of Globalized Supply Chains4:14 — The China Problem Is a Supply Chain Problem — And It's Not Going Away5:40 — De-risking Without Decoupling: Why a Clean Break From China Isn't Happening7:29 — Run Faster or Trip the Other Guy: How Policy Levers Actually Work9:03 — What's Good for America Needs to Be Good for the Industry — Not the Other Way Around11:25 — When the Government Decides Your Sector Is a National Security Asset13:17 — The FCC's DJI Move: How a Regulatory Constraint Created a Domestic Drone Opportunity15:39 — Rare Earths, Export Controls, and the Negotiation Hiding Inside the Tariff War17:56 — How to Build Strategy When Uncertainty Is the Operating Condition20:21 — The Rubik's Cube Mindset: Matt's Two Takeaways for Anyone in This IndustryWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bk51yRB4ZQQAnd for previous episodes of the Ways We Move on your favorite podcast platforms, see: ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWaysWeMove📺🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-ways-we-move/id1797599255 🔊🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4V0qe3eZqublwn6dasXWCf 🎧🎙️ Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd3349e1-275f-4691-ae38-f1b6a153d5e5/the-ways-we-move 🎙️📻 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-ways-we-move-268614085/ 📻🌱 Buzzsprout: https://thewayswemove.buzzsprout.com/ 🗣️🎬 Patreon education and news analysis! https://www.patreon.com/c/TheWaysWeMove 🔒📢 Support now: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheWaysWeMoveSubscribe for more insights into the future of mobility and support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2428454/supporters/new 📡