Chad Bown is not just among the world’s most respected trade economists. He is also perhaps the single most careful tracker of real-time trade activity — which obviously makes him the best possible guest to explain the consequences of US President Donald Trump’s decision on April 2nd to impose new tariffs on China and many other countries in addition to further escalating the trade war with China just a week later while changing course (though not entirely) against the rest of the world.

Among the topics they chatted about: 

• The scale of the potential fallout 
• Where the tariffs stand now — including earlier tariffs already imposed
• The ongoing threat to the American auto industry 
• What it all means for the global liberal trading order 
• The worst-case and best-case scenarios 

…and more! 

Related links: 

• Chad Bown home page
• Trade Talks, Chad’s podcast 
• Chad’s (updated in real time) interview with Kai Ryssdal
• The trade war timeline