210. What is America's problem with the WTO?

In a trade podcast mashup, Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller (The Trade Guys) join Trade Talks to interview Soumaya and Chad about the Keynes & Bown new book, How to Win a Trade War (32:07).

Arvind Subramanian (PIIE) explains how poorer countries are being squeezed by China's failure to grow out of many industries important to their economic development (27:44).

Finbarr Bermingham (South China Morning Post) joins to explain how the European Union is using tariffs, cybersecurity, product bans, and industrial policy in its own trade war with China, as well as how China is not backing down (45:04).

Chad visits the Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in North America, and speaks with its Executive Director, Gene Seroka, for an update on US trade with China, as well as the impact on the Port of the recent tariffs, the war in Iran, automation, and AI (35.54).

Former CHIPS program chief economist Dan Kim (TechInsights) joins for a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence and US semiconductors policy – including the CHIPS Act subsidies, tariffs, and export controls – as well as its impact on US-China technology competition (56:47).

Sam Cooper, the owner of Klear Vu, a company that makes seat cushions in Massachusetts and imports fabric from China, joins for a candid explanation about the impact of the US tariffs in 2025 on the company's supply chain, pricing, and other decisions (34:19).

Former US ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Maria Pagán joins for a wide-ranging conversation about US government concerns with the WTO, the Trump administration's actions so far, and the failures of the recent ministerial conference in Cameroon (33:00).

Thomas J. Bollyky (Council on Foreign Relations) joins to explain the problems facing the US pharmaceutical market, the Trump administration's new tariffs and pricing deal with the United Kingdom, and the impact on American drug prices as well as supply chain security (30:10).

Aime Williams (Financial Times) joins Chad Bown to help explain what has happened since President Trump's sweeping April 2, 2025 tariff announcement. They discuss the surprises in the US import and export data from 2025, trading partner retaliation, the deals, and what comes next after the Supreme Court's February 2026 decision  (22:01).

Soumaya Keynes (Financial Times) joins to cohost an emergency episode explaining President Trump's sweeping April 2 tariff announcement. Bown and Keynes turn to Douglas A. Irwin on history, Maurice Obstfeld on the US dollar, and Kathleen Claussen on law to clarify what we know about the tariff actions so far (29:14).