Trade Wars, Economic Chaos, and Law: Unpacking Trump's Trade Tactics with Alan Sykes

04/16/25 • 32 min

Joining Pam for this week's episode is Stanford Law Professor Alan Sykes, a leading expert on the application of economics to legal problems whose most recent scholarship is focused on international economic relations. In short, he is an international trade and law expert—and the right person to help us understand today's chaos. The discussion covers the credibility of the United States in international trade negotiations, the feasibility of renegotiating trade deals with multiple countries within a short timeframe, and the unconventional methods employed by the Trump administration. Sykes also highlights the importance of previously negotiated deals and the World Trade Organization—and how the Trump administration has sidelined the organization. This episode offers a comprehensive look at the legal and economic dimensions of Trump's tariffs, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of modern trade policies.

Links:

Alan O. Sykes >>> Stanford Law page
The Law and Economics of International Trade Agreements >>> Stanford Law page

Connect:

Episode Transcripts >>> Stanford Legal Podcast Website
Stanford Legal Podcast >>> LinkedIn Page
Rich Ford >>> Twitter/X
Pam Karlan >>> Stanford Law School Page
Stanford Law School >>> Twitter/X
Stanford Lawyer Magazine >>> Twitter/X

(00:00:00) Introduction and Overview of Trump's Tariffs (00:04:05) Impact on Imported Goods and Consumers (00:04:34) Exemptions and Intermediate Goods (00:05:14) Historical Context of U.S. Tariffs (00:24:38) Credibility of the United States and the 90-Day Pause

Links:

Alan O. Sykes >>> Stanford Law page
The Law and Economics of International Trade Agreements >>> Stanford Law page

Connect:

Episode Transcripts >>> Stanford Legal Podcast Website
Stanford Legal Podcast >>> LinkedIn Page
Rich Ford >>> Twitter/X
Pam Karlan >>> Stanford Law School Page
Stanford Law School >>> Twitter/X
Stanford Lawyer Magazine >>> Twitter/X

(00:00:00) Introduction and Overview of Trump's Tariffs (00:04:05) Impact on Imported Goods and Consumers (00:04:34) Exemptions and Intermediate Goods (00:05:14) Historical Context of U.S. Tariffs (00:24:38) Credibility of the United States and the 90-Day Pause

Previous Episode

Trump’s Forced Deportations to El Salvador Prisons, Detentions, and Fear on College Campuses

Do asylum seekers in the U.S. have rights? Can the U.S. government forcibly deport them to a prison in El Salvador without due process? What about green card holders attending college? Since taking office, President Trump has focused on legal and undocumented immigrants alike, from Venezuelan asylum seekers to visa and green card college students—invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport some, and even defying court orders. In this episode, Stanford Law immigration law expert Jennifer Chacón joins Rich Ford for a discussion about these unprecedented actions while also addressing the broader implications for human rights and the U.S.'s role as a refuge for persecuted individuals—and the potential for America's diminished international reputation and influence in the world.

Links:

Jennifer Chacón >>> Stanford Law page
Legal Phantoms >>> Stanford Law page
Surveillance Footage Shows Arrest of Tufts U. Student >>> NY Times page
What the Venezuelans Deported to El Salvador Experienced >>> Time magazine page

Connect:

Episode Transcripts >>> Stanford Legal Podcast Website
Stanford Legal Podcast >>> LinkedIn Page
Rich Ford >>> Twitter/X
Pam Karlan >>> Stanford Law School Page
Stanford Law School >>> Twitter/X
Stanford Lawyer Magazine >>> Twitter/X

(00:00:00) : Introduction of guest Jennifer Chacón and Unprecedented Actions (00:09:00): Redefinition of Wartime Acts and Due Process

(00:17:56): Legal Frameworks and Immigration Detention

(00:18:36): Aggressive Tactics and Legal Boundaries (00:31:55): Vision of the United States and Future Outlook (00:32:54): Vigilance and Civic Engagement

Next Episode

The Trump Administration and the Rule of Law Under Pressure

On March 6, President Trump issued the executive order “Addressing Risk from Perkins Coie LLP,” essentially preventing the firm from doing business with the federal government, stripping its staff of security clearances. It was the first of several presidential orders aimed at law firms that represented clients and/or employed attorneys at odds with Trump.

At the same time, Trump and members of his administration have voiced loud opposition to judges who rule against him and, in what many see as a weaponization of justice, have fired members of the Department of Justice without cause. Even the new Attorney General Pam Bondi is breaking with long held protocol by openly defending the administration, taking a partisan position when defending her decision not to investigate the Signal scandal of top national security officers sharing war plans via the public ap, saying: “If you want to talk about classified information, talk about what was in Hillary Clinton’s home. Talk about the classified documents in Joe Biden’s garage that Hunter Biden had access to.”

Are the norms and practices that have maintained the rule of law in the United States straining under the pressure of the Trump administration?

Stanford Law Professor David Sklansky, a criminal law expert, joins Pam Karlan for a look at the first 100 days of the Trump administration—and the unprecedented number of executive orders targeting rule of law norms. Sklansky, co-director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center who teaches and writes about policing, prosecution, criminal law, and the law of evidence, is the author, most recently of Criminal Justice in Divided America: Police, Punishment, and the Future of Our Democracy, was published earlier this year by Harvard University Press. Earlier he practiced labor law in Washington D.C. and served as a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

Links: