Trump tariff chaos is a creating a cash cow for consultants

While businesses across the US are fretting that President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of new tariffs could mean a massive hit to their bottom lines, at least one industry is gearing up for the exact opposite.

While businesses across the US are fretting that President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of new tariffs could mean a massive hit to their bottom lines, at least one industry is gearing up for the exact opposite. With less than a month to go until Trump is back in the Oval Office, many businesses that ship goods to or from the US are facing crucial questions like: Should we move our production elsewhere? And if so, where? How much more will it cost? Will we have to change our prices because of that? Will that cost us customers? These questions come as Trump vowed to levy across-the-board tariffs on everything the US imports, with the steepest on goods coming from China, followed by Mexico and Canada. The three countries are America’s largest trade partners. Then, last week, Trump upped the ante, pledging new tariffs on European Union nations unless they purchase more US oil and gas. “Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way,” he said in a post on Truth Social, without specifying how high the tariffs would go. Businesses are nervous not just about the size of the tariffs — but also the timeline. That’s because from the very second Trump is inaugurated on January 20, he can instantly disrupt global trade at the flick of a pen with the ability to sign new tariffs into law. Countries that are subject to new tariffs could quickly respond with retaliatory tariffs on American-made goods, which could directly hurt export-heavy industries like oil and gas as well as chemical and auto manufacturing. This could leave businesses with little to no lead time to prepare as they scramble to order last-minute bulk shipments of inventory or sign new manufacturing contracts with producers.