Tariffs have unleashed a world of uncertainty on global supply chains. But what does it mean for supply chain organizations? In today’s Argentus blog, we’re exploring the implications of the new tariff environment for supply chain talent—in terms of job searching, skills development, and hiring.

Tariffs are all over the news. You don’t need to hear it from us that the U.S. trade actions over the past few months have thrown the global trade order, built over decades, into disarray. For companies that manufacture, import, export or distribute physical products, tariffs represent a significant challenge. New tariffs will increase prices on both manufacturing inputs or finished goods, depending on where you’re buying from and where you’re marketing your product. They also threaten to lower demand for products from tariff-impacted countries—Canadian aluminum, for example. 

We’ve written a lot about the era of supply chain disruptions that began with COVID-19. This was the moment when the supply chain broke into the mainstream in a big way. This was the first time where, if you work in supply chain management and mentioned it at a barbecue, you might get more than a blank stare. Since then, everyone realizes how changing supply chain conditions impact their lives. Now in 2025, the changing trade landscape is yet another wrinkle—and a big one—for supply chain professionals to navigate. 

Which brings us to our reason for writing this post: We know that tariffs have had a massive political and economic impact, but what are the impacts on supply chain managers, specifically? What does it mean for the people in the trenches working on building robust, resilient, efficient supply chains? And what does it mean for the talent market and for hiring? 

As a recruitment firm that services clients exclusively in this area, we spend a lot of time talking to supply chain professionals. Read on to get our take! 

Tariffs are creating challenges for supply chain managers to tackle

The immediate impact for people working in supply chains is a whole lot of headaches and fires to put out. For one, there’s the regulatory overhead. Companies need to navigate a new and constantly-changing customs environment to ensure that they’re compliant for various aspects of their business. This creates difficulties for people in logistics, customs, import/export and other core supply chain functions. 

Beyond that, there’s the uncertainty that tariff pressure is putting on supply chains. We’ve entered a supply chain environment of tremendous uncertainty that hasn’t been seen since the early days of the pandemic, when companies were struggling to find alternate sources of supply, pivot to new delivery and fulfilment options, invest in new supply chain visibility tools and future-proof their supply chains to become more resilient. 

To a certain extent, the full impact of the tariffs on supply chains is unknown, but we’re already seeing some effects as they filter into the import market. Some companies have raced to import products ahead of tariff deadlines, while others have ships on the water that will cost much more to import when they arrive than they anticipated. CNBC reported that imports from China to the U.S. have plummeted, leading to cancelled Chinese Freight ships. The New York Times just posted an article about how the tariffs are threatening Supply Chains for Christmas decorations and toys.

Then, there’s the broader uncertainty around the overall economic outlook. In Canada, tariffs may not put a squeeze on imports to the point where we face shortages, but it becomes difficult for companies to make long-term decisions when new tariffs are being announced, rescinded, and re-announced on a day-to-day basis.

The effects are so varied that it’s hard to keep track of all of them. But one thing is for certain: companies need to formulate their supply chain strategies to compete in this uncertain environment.

Supply chain managers are poised to thrive

The good news is that some of the investments in supply chain systems, skills and resiliency that companies have made over the past few years could pay off in the current environment. While the current tariff environment represents a major headache, it’s also not the first disruption that supply chain organizations have faced over the past number of years. Skilled supply chain managers really show their value in a crisis, and they’re poised to show their mettle and provide strategic value during this one. 

We were struck by an excellent recent article in Supply Chain Brain, called A Supply Chain Playbook for Tariff Response. It outlined some of the major strategies that supply chain gurus are employing to help their companies navigate this new reality. The top supply chain organizations—and managers—are working to:

• Diversify their vendor lists and formalize pricing agreements 
• Provide insight and coverage to business leaders about tariff exposure
• Use forecasting techniques to understand how tariffs might change consumer behaviour and sentiment
• Invest in long-term agility to be able to pivot supply chains to respond not only to this disruption, but to whatever else is coming down the pike.

Among other strategies and contributions.

These are just a few ways that supply chain managers can help companies not only survive, but thrive during a period of tariff uncertainty.

The talent implications

Some companies have announced layoffs for manufacturing workers, particularly in sectors like the automotive industry which have been particularly targeted for tariffs. Some companies in other vulnerable sectors have instituted hiring freezes given the uncertainty—just as some did during the initial stages of the pandemic.

But from our perspective, the talent market for supply chain professionals isn’t weakening. If anything, the impact of tariffs has redoubled the need for strong supply chain managers who can navigate the new environment. Just as during the pandemic, companies need people who can fight the fires that these tariffs are creating. But they also need people who can transform processes, technology, supplier bases and logistics strategies to adapt to the uncertainty. 

That second category of people is harder, of course, to find. But companies who make the investment in putting the right people in place will do much better than those who freeze, as it was during the pandemic. 

The tariffs also slightly change the emphasis for which skills will be in highest demand. From our perspective, these are some of the core skills that companies will be seeking out. These were certainly important before, but take on new urgency in the new environment:

• Knowledge of customs and tariff regulations to make sure that companies are compliant with the new tariffs, and don’t face any unexpected exposure
• Forecasting including supply planning, inventory planning and demand forecasting based on market conditions
• Business transformation and systems skills, including skills with emerging technology like AI to streamline processes and improve visibility into where products are coming from, and what the tariff exposure is
• Sourcing and supplier relationship management skills to diversify existing supply bases to reduce tariff exposure

Overall, the tariff environment underscores—yet again—how critical supply chain management, and supply chain managers are to business today. 

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Are you experiencing tariff disruption in your supply chain-related work? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below, or send us a note to recruit@argentus.com. 

And as always, if you have any immediate or upcoming hiring needs in supply chain management, procurement, or any of its associated disciplines, contact Argentus! We’ve spent the past 25 years building the most robust network of supply chain professionals in Canada—people who can not just fill a seat, but help your business strategically adapt to these and other challenges. Reach out to explore how we can augment your internal hiring process.