In this episode, School of International Service (SIS) professor Michael Stanaitis joins Big World to discuss trade wars and tariffs during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Stanaitis, a member of the SIS Department of Global Inquiry and professor for SIS online graduate programs, begins our conversation by defining tariffs and explaining how the United States has historically used them (2:01). Stanaitis also explains the difference between Trump’s tariff use in his first term versus his second term thus far (7:43).

What are the president’s goals with recent tariff threats against Canada, Mexico, China, and Colombia (11:47)? What do Trump’s tariffs mean for American consumers (17:03)? Stanaitis answers these questions and explains what he believes the legacy of Trump tariffs will be by providing an illustration from Thomas and Friends (22:55).  

You can find more analysis from Professor Stanaitis in these recent pieces on our website: “Understanding Trump Tariffs 2.0” and “Analyzing Trump Tariffs 2.0.”