Lori Wallach breaks down the confusion, the consequences, and what’s coming next on the Trump administration's actions on China, the 90-day pause, and more.

Confused about the tariffs that just went into effect?It's hard not to be, given how they are being discussed in the media. But before we all conclude the sky is falling, please listen to the latest episode of our Rethinking Trade podcast.(And yes, we’re back from hiatus!)Lori covers just what we need to know about the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, the additional 20% tariffs onChina, and Trump’s reversal on allowing de minimis shipments from China, Mexico and Canada to evade these very tariffs as well as inspection.And she explains how all of this could impact you... even as things keep changing. 

This new episode of the Rethinking Trade podcast is a little different. It’s about tariffs, an issue that’s critical to get smart about now… At a recent live panel with Congressmembers Debbie Dingell (D-Mich) and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and our labor friends, Lori led a discussion about why much of the conventional wisdom on tariffs is wrong.   Like, if you are for enforceable labor standards in trade agreements or climate Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms, you are FOR tariffs.   And tariffs do NOT necessarily increase consumer prices. But price-gouging corporations like to use tariffs as an excuse to raise prices. And, yup, that story you hear over and over on tariff raising washing machine prices is wrong.

This new Rethinking Trade podcast episode is not a break from election anxiety, but can help explain the current situation…     Lori talks with Dan Kaufman about his recent New York Times Magazine story, "How NAFTA Broke American Politics." It examines the long-lasting impacts of the trade agreement on U.S. communities and politics nationwide.    Lori and Dan do a deep dive into Kaufman’s recent October article. Listen now for conversation about the human and political cost of NAFTA, particularly in Wisconsin, and the broader impact on American workers and our politics.    Dan Kaufman is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and author of the acclaimed book The Fall of Wisconsin about the labor revolution spurred by ring attacks on union rights there. 

The imitable Zephyr Teachout wrote a fantastic piece that everyone seems to be reading about why tariffs and the trade issue play such an outsized role in elections and how Trump has set a tariff trap to try to ensnare the Democrats. In our latest episode of the Rethinking Trade podcast, Lori Wallach sits down with the renowned Fordham law professor. The discussion is especially interesting because Zephyr ran for Congress in a swing district in 2016 and saw her lead — along with Hillary Clinton's — disappear as Trump realized the power of the trade attack. Even if you don’t have time to read the piece (and you should, and we have it on our website) this short, but powerful conversation is fascinating.

In this episode of Rethinking Trade, Lori Wallach breaks down the facts about tariffs—how they work, who pays them, and their impact on consumer prices. With tariffs back in the news, Lori explains the difference between targeted tariffs and across the board tariffs. Tune in NOW to get the full picture.

Rapacious European corporations were top users of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) tribunals. For decades, they extracted billions from taxpayers worldwide, attacking local laws and suing governments before ISDS tribunals of three corporate attorneys.   So, it was big news when the European Union recently exited one of the world’s largest ISDS agreements -- the Energy Charter Treaty.   In the latest episode of the Rethinking Trade podcast, Lori Wallach is joined by two people who know the inside story: Cecilia Olivet, advisor to the Left Group in the European Parliament, and Fabian Flues, of the German-based organization Powershift. Here’s a hint: When European domestic climate policies got ISDS attacked, the Dutch, German and other ISDS-booster governments had to shell out billions. And climate activists turned up the, um, heat. Nothing like being on the receiving end of ISDS – and domestic grassroots campaigns - to change opinions…

Did you know that states across the country are taking steps right now to regulate artificial intelligence (AI), protect kids' online safety, guarantee us the right to repair our phones, cars and other stuff, as well as safeguard data privacy?   But this progress could soon be wiped out thanks to Big Tech’s stealthy "digital trade" agenda.   In the latest episode of our Rethinking Trade podcast, our colleagues ⁠Daniel Rangel ⁠and ⁠Katie Hettinga ⁠explain how more than 100 state-level tech bills could be preempted by international trade rules being pushed by Big Tech lobbyists.   Katie and Daniel spent months researching how these hidden provisions could undo the vital protections being enacted by state lawmakers, and have now put this information at your fingertips. Check out the tracker at www.rethinktrade.org/digitaltrade.

It was a busy Friday on Capitol Hill, as the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on digital trade. If you haven't heard about "digital trade", the name that Big Tech lobbyists have given to a backdoor to try and tie the hands of Congress and regulators to evade privacy requirements/anti-discrimination online rules and shut down AI oversight, this podcast is for you. Don't forget to also read our international preemption paper for further background, and stay tuned for our forthcoming podcast on our states tracker, which goes into Big Tech's digital trade agenda at the state level.

In this special breaking news episode of the Rethinking Trade podcast, Lori Wallach explains today's White House actions on the #deminimis loophole. Remember: please visit our previous episodes on the de minimis loophole to understand just how e-commerce platforms like #Shein and #Temu are exploiting the loophole, and what it means for you.