Legal

Trump’s Tariff Upheaval Sparks Frenzy of Work for Trade Lawyers

A tractor-trailer heads into the US from Canada at the border crossing in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec on March 6.Photographer: Graham Hughes/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Maya Averbuch, Derek Decloet, and Sabrina Willmer

April 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT

Manufacturers and suppliers are bound by more than simple supply and demand. There are contracts, rules, laws, arbitration clauses and myriad other legal stipulations that smooth the flow of commerce.

So when US President Donald Trump threatens to upend the whole system by imposing tariffs, someone has to untangle all that legalese. That’s where trade lawyers come in, and right now business is booming.