ChinaTalk

The Toymaker vs. the Tariffs


Listen Later

A century-old toy company has taken down Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs with a self-funded lawsuit. But how?

Today’s guest is Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, creator of Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog, and a successful Supreme Court plaintiff in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump. Co-hosting is Peter Harrell, who submitted an amicus brief on the tariff case that shook the world.

Our conversation covers:

  • David v. Goliath — Why a mid-sized toy company sued when industry giants stayed silent, and what that says about incentives and courage in corporate America.

  • The Existential Math — How tariff costs were set to jump from $2 million to $100 million, putting 500 jobs and a century-old family business at risk.

  • Why Manufacturing Stays in China — The hard economics of toy production, supply-chain concentration, and why moving to Vietnam, India, or Mexico isn’t a simple fix.

  • Rule of Law and Refunds — What it means to win at the Supreme Court, what should happen with the overcollected tariffs, and the constitutional guardrails around taxation.

  • Legacy and Responsibility — Why taking a stand was necessary to protect this company’s mission.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    ChinaTalkBy Jordan Schneider

    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5

    4.5

    277 ratings


    More shows like ChinaTalk

    View all
    Odd Lots by Bloomberg

    Odd Lots

    1,999 Listeners

    Conversations with Tyler by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

    Conversations with Tyler

    2,453 Listeners

    Foreign Policy Live by Foreign Policy

    Foreign Policy Live

    618 Listeners

    Sinica Podcast by Kaiser Kuo

    Sinica Podcast

    601 Listeners

    ChinaPower by CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

    ChinaPower

    206 Listeners

    The President’s Inbox by Council on Foreign Relations

    The President’s Inbox

    722 Listeners

    The Trade Guys by CSIS  |  Center for Strategic and International Studies

    The Trade Guys

    152 Listeners

    Net Assessment by The Stimson Center

    Net Assessment

    425 Listeners

    ManifoldOne by Steve Hsu

    ManifoldOne

    97 Listeners

    Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

    Dwarkesh Podcast

    550 Listeners

    Pekingology by Center for Strategic and International Studies

    Pekingology

    144 Listeners

    Ones and Tooze by Foreign  Policy

    Ones and Tooze

    370 Listeners

    The Foreign Affairs Interview by Foreign Affairs Magazine

    The Foreign Affairs Interview

    496 Listeners

    "Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg by Turpentine

    "Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

    146 Listeners

    The Trivium China Podcast by Trivium China

    The Trivium China Podcast

    13 Listeners