All learners are welcome to two full days of e-learning sessions, with no prior legal experience required.  

This course is for both non-lawyer professionals and practicing lawyers. Diverse professional backgrounds are represented among our subject-matter experts – and encouraged among our students.  

The fee for the Trade Law Essentials: What Businesses Need to Know Intensive is $2,900 payable upon acceptance of an offer of admission.  

Are you part of a larger organization, non-profit, NGO or educational organization? Discounts are available: contact lawprofessionalcertificates@queensu.ca for details.   

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Substitution, Cancellation and Refund Policies

• Introduction to Trade Law and Tariffs: Covering the structure of international trade law and its interaction with domestic trade law, this session will cover the history of the multilateral trade regime, the preferential agreements to which Canada is a party, related dispute settlement procedures, and the recent challenges to international trade law.  
• The Customs Act: Any importer or exporter of a good will have to answer two questions: what is the good that I am trading for customs purposes (customs classification) and what is its value for customs purposes (customs valuation)? The session will introduce participants to the relevant legal provisions, the procedural steps, and the government agencies involved in the process of customs classification and valuation in Canada.
• Tariffs and Contracting: Cross-border transactions are based on contracts which allocate risks between the parties. When negotiating those contracts, most businesses did not put their mind to the question of who would assume the risk of a suddenly increased tariff. The session will introduce participants to the contractual terms that govern liability for tariffs and will discuss the scope for renegotiating contracts in the light of sudden tariff increases. It will also share best practices for negotiating contracts in the new trade environment.  
• U.S. Trade Law: The current challenging trade environment for Canadian businesses is largely the result of the radical change in tariff policy adopted by the second Trump Administration. The presentation will review the rationales and legal authority for the tariffs adopted by the first and second Trump administrations, will discuss the implications of these differences for Canadian exporters and will survey the expected tariff landscape that Canadian exporters will face in the foreseeable future. Finally, the presentation will explain the status of various challenges of the tariffs in US courts.
• Introduction to Preferential Trade Agreements:  Preferential trade agreements, commonly referred to as “free trade agreements”, take advantage of an exception under multilateral trade rules that allows countries to provide more favourable (“preferential”) treatment to specific trading partners provided certain conditions are fulfilled, the most important of which is that free trade agreements must liberalize “substantially all the trade” between the parties. The presentation will review the role of free trade agreements in the international trade landscape and discuss the role they have played and can play for Canadian businesses, both in fending off US tariffs and in diversifying their imports and exports.    
• Rules of Origin: In order to take advantage of the preferential treatment offered by free trade agreements, importers and exporters must prove that their product “originates” in the free trade area. Whether a product “originates” for the purpose of a free trade agreement is determined by “rules of origin” set out in the agreement, which can vary from one product to the next. The presentation will provide examples of different rules of origin from Canada’s free trade agreements and will explain what is involved in proving origin for customs purposes, with a particular focus on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
• Trade Remedies: As the U.S. market becomes increasingly closed to exports, Canadian businesses faced increased competition at home, both from domestic competitors who can no longer export to the US and from foreign exporters who try to divert their originally US-bound production to Canada. Trade remedies – which encompass anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, and safeguards – allow Canadian businesses to seek protection against imports that might cause injury to them, if certain conditions are satisfied. The presentation will introduce the conditions under which the different trade remedies are available and walk the participants through the process for accessing trade remedies. It will also survey the options that businesses have at their disposal if they stand to be harmed by trade remedies sought by other Canadian businesses (e.g., because the trade remedies would increase the price of their inputs).      
• Supply Chains: Governments used to focus their efforts on creating favourable conditions for supply chains to take root in their countries, by taking such measures as liberalizing trade, offering a well-educated workforce and providing a stable investment climate. In the wake of the shocks and crises of recent years - from the reemergence of geopolitical competition to the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis - governments have started to actively shape supply chains with the aim of achieving a much broader range of policy objectives, including security, sustainability, resilience, and the protection of worker rights. The session will discuss the implications of this shift "from rules to tools" for Canadian businesses and the domestic policy process.  
• Export Restrictions: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the emergence of geopolitical competition between the West and China has led to a flurry of sanctions and export restrictions implemented by Western governments. The rules are often not clearly defined, creating risks for Canadian businesses. The presentation will review the landscape of sanctions and other export controls and survey the recent practice of the Canadian government.    
• Supply Chain Due Diligence: Businesses are increasingly held responsible for what happens along their supply chains. North American governments have been particularly focused on eliminating forced labour from supply chains in recent years, but scrutiny of other human rights violations and environmental impacts is intensifying as well. The presentation will advise businesses on how to navigate the commercial, legal and reputational risks arising from the increased scrutiny of their supply chains.  
• Looking Towards the Future: Canadian businesses are facing a trade environment that is more uncertain than any in living memory. Moreover, for the first time in over a century, the government of Canada’s largest trading partner has the stated goal of importing less from Canada – a posture that poses an existential threat to Canadian businesses that depend on exports to the United States. At the same time, relations with Canada’s second largest trading partner – China – are fraught as well; boosted by long-term state support and steeled in a hyper-competitive domestic market, Chinese exporters are at the cutting edge in an increasing number of industries, which adds to the peril of Canadian manufacturers. The session will feature a conversation with a leading voice from the Canada’s business and policy community to canvass the future of Canada’s trading relationships.

Nicolas Lamp

Associate Professor, Queen’s Law 

The developer of this Professional Intensive program, Nicolas Lamp joined the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University as an Assistant Professor in 2014. In 2020, he was cross-appointed to the Queen’s School of Policy Studies. He is the Director of the Queen’s Institute on Trade Policy, a professional training course for Canadian trade officials. 

Professor Lamp’s current research focuses on competing narratives about the winners and losers from economic globalization and their implications for trade law and policy. He is the Principal Investigator on a 5-year SSHRC Insight Grant on “Trading in (Dis)Order: The Crisis of Globalization and the Future of International Trade Law and Policy”. His co-authored book (with Anthea Roberts) Six Faces of Globalization: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why It Matters was published by Harvard University Press in 2021 and was selected as one of the best books of 2021 by the Financial Times and Fortune Magazine. Prof. Lamp is also a co-author (with Henry Gao, Jennifer Hillman, and Joost Pauwelyn) of a free online casebook on international trade law entitled International Trade Law. A Casebook for a System in Crisis (published by the Geneva Trade Platform since 2023). His edited volume Reckoning and Renewal: The World Trade Organization and Its Dispute Settlement System at 30. Essays in Honour of Valerie Hughes will be published by the University of Toronto Press in the fall of 2025. 

Prior to joining Queen’s, Professor Lamp worked as a Dispute Settlement Lawyer at the Appellate Body Secretariat of the World Trade Organization, where he advised the Members of the Appellate Body on legal issues arising in appellate proceedings under the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism.  

Jessica Horwitz 

Partner, Bennett Jones 

Jessica Horwitz (Law’12) is a leading advisor on international trade law, guiding Canadian and global businesses through complex trade, customs, and sanctions challenges. She specializes in import/export regulation, trade remedies, free trade agreements, WTO law, and Canadian customs compliance. Jessica helps clients navigate cross-border issues including excise taxes, export controls, product labelling, and supply chain integrity. She regularly represents clients before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and Federal Courts in trade remedy and customs appeals, and advises on enforcement actions by CBSA, Global Affairs Canada, and other agencies. Her work includes designing trade compliance programs, conducting risk assessments, and managing investigations related to sanctions, anti-corruption, and forced labour. Jessica’s strategic counsel supports international market access and regulatory alignment across industries. 

Michael Milne

Partner, Cassidy Levy Kent  

Michael Milne, Partner at Cassidy Levy Kent and Certified Customs Specialist, is a trusted advisor on Canada’s most pressing trade law issues. He counsels clients on sanctions, forced labour compliance, and global trade policy, with deep expertise in trade remedy investigations including antidumping and countervailing duties. Michael represents industries ranging from steel and construction to consumer goods in high-stakes proceedings before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Federal Courts, CBSA, and U.S. trade agencies. Known for his strategic insight and commercial pragmatism, he delivers responsive, results-oriented advice that aligns legal strategy with business goals. Clients value his ability to unify complex projects and drive efficient, practical outcomes across borders. 

Julia Webster

Partner, Baker McKenzie 

Julia Webster (Law’13) is a seasoned international trade and disputes lawyer, advising clients on trade remedies, free trade agreements, customs compliance, sanctions, anti-corruption, AML, and cross-border M&A. Her practice spans supply chain ethics and blocking measures, with a focus on navigating complex regulatory frameworks. Julia has extensive litigation experience, having appeared before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Federal Courts, and various administrative tribunals. She also guides clients through sensitive internal investigations involving multi-jurisdictional legal issues. A Certified Customs Specialist, Julia advises on Canadian lobbying and election advertising laws and is a member of Transparency International Canada’s Legal Committee. She lectures at Queen’s University Faculty of Law, where she co-developed a course on international business crime. 

Kathleen Claussen

Professor, Georgetown Law 

Professor Kathleen Claussen is a leading authority in international economic law, specializing in trade, investment, dispute resolution, and national security. She has served as arbitrator, counsel, and expert in numerous international trade and investment cases, and regularly advises governments and institutions on complex legal and policy issues. A former Associate General Counsel at the U.S. Trade Representative, she has testified before the U.S. Congress and European Parliament and was appointed to the ICSID Panel of Conciliators by the White House in 2024. Her scholarship appears in top law journals and she holds editorial roles at the Journal of International Economic Law and American Journal of International Law. As Managing Faculty Co-Director of Georgetown’s Institute of International Economic Law, she oversees strategic programming and research. 

Wendy J. Wagner

Partner, Gowling WLG 

Wendy J. Wagner leads Gowling WLG Canada’s International Trade Group and co-chairs the Cyber Security & Data Protection Group. A recognized authority in trade law, she advises on customs, sanctions, export controls, and trade remedies, and represents clients before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and courts. Wendy serves on the Tribunal’s Advisory Committee and the CCIL Planning Committee. In cybersecurity, she guides clients through privacy compliance, breach response, and emerging tech issues including AI and biometrics. She is a trusted advisor in investigations and litigation involving privacy commissioners and courts. Wendy holds a CIPP/C designation, contributes to global privacy forums, and is recognized by Legal 500, Chambers, Lexpert, and Best Lawyers across trade, tech, and litigation. A former Supreme Court clerk, she holds an LLB from the University of Ottawa and an MA in International Affairs from Carleton. 

Matthew Kronby

Partner, Osler

Matthew is a partner in the Competition, International Trade and Foreign Investment Group at our Toronto office, specializing in cross-border compliance and dispute resolution under trade agreements and Canadian law. He advises global clients on WTO, USMCA, CPTPP, and CETA matters, trade remedies, sanctions, and export controls. A former Director-General of Canada’s Trade Law Bureau, Matthew led Canada’s legal team in CETA negotiations and has represented the country in WTO and investment treaty disputes. He teaches international trade and investment arbitration at the University of Toronto and serves on Canada’s rosters of panelists under the USMCA and CETA. His career began in the foreign service, including a posting in Washington, D.C., focused on sanctions and transboundary issues.