Rethinking Trade with Lori Wallach

In this episode of Rethinking Trade, Lori speaks with digital governance expert Dr. Kristina Irion and Rethink Trade research director Daniel Rangel about a key issue resurfacing in Brussels: The Trump administration's joint push with Big Tech to use trade rules to limit how democracies regulate data, privacy, and algorithmic oversight. Although recorded earlier this year, the conversation is...

China’s devastating new move to cut off global access to rare-earth minerals could be cataclysmic — shutting down manufacturing of core sectors across the U.S. economy. In this episode of  Rethinking Trade , Lori Wallach speaks with  Rush Doshi   — former National Security Council Director for China and Taiwan and Director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council on Foreign Relations — abou...

China just announced new export controls on  rare earths  — the subset of critical minerals used to make high-power magnets essential for EVs, defense tech, and nearly every modern electronic device. Lori Wallach breaks down why China’s grip on rare earths processing has become a global choke point 15 years in the making — and what this latest move signals for supply chains, allies, and U.S. lever...

In this episode of Rethinking Trade: Did the dangerous de minimis trade loophole finally get closed for goods from China on May 2? Woohoo – tariff-dodging is now forbidden. But the Trump administration’s wavier of a longstanding customs enforcement rule might make the change harder to enforce.    Lori will explain what it means for the import inspectionsneeded to catch fentanyl-laced fake pills an...

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 Tr...

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...

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 re...

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...

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...

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, o...

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 for...

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.

How many times has your phone, car, or whatever broken and you or your local repair shop can’t get the part or the software update to fix it? You’re told the only options are to pay an obscene amount to a dealer or manufacturer, or prematurely replace the item. People in states across the country are fighting back by enacting “right to repair” laws. But corporate lobbyists hope to rig trade agreem...

Hello, friends! We’ve got a new podcast episode and it’s a bit different! A veritable OG trade crew got together for a kick-ass discussion on "A New Trade Policy to Break Up Corporate Power” at our recent  Anti-Monopoly Summit . How OG? The discussion is led by  Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)  the House Trade Working Groups chair (and House Approps Ranking Member!) and features  Thea Lee  (Deputy U...

In this special breaking news episode of Rethinking Trade, Lori Wallach breaks down President Biden's new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and solar panels. Tune in to understand the implications of these tariffs, and the rationale behind them. Spoiler: these measures are crucial for combating unfair trade practices and ensuring supply chain resilience.

Our latest Rethinking Trade podcast episode is out now, and it's a special one. Lori Wallach sits down with Arthur Stamoulis, the Executive Director of Citizens Trade Campaign and Trade Justice Education Fund , to talk the past, present, and future of the trade justice movement in the United States. Lori and Arthur take us on a speedy tour through the last 30 years of the U.S. fight for fair t...

In our latest breaking news segment for Rethinking Trade, Lori Wallach discusses the latest developments on Capitol Hill. De minimis is a trade loophole that we've discussed often on the podcast, and why it's important to close it. But what happened in the House Ways and Means markup, and to Rep. Blumenauer's bipartisan de minimis bill? Lori gives the blow-by-blow.

BREAKING NEWS: China's WTO Complaint Against the U.S. on Electric-Vehicle Subsidies. Lori gives background, and tells you what it means.

In our latest episode of Rethinking Trade, we’re talking about the major trade event of the year -- the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It’s a major global biennial meeting where cabinet-level officials, like  U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai , get together to set the agenda for the international  trade and commerce body. Rethink Trade Research Director Da...

Tariffs are in the news again! Why does that term generate such vitriol from some quarters and joy from others?!   This week, we explore that question with  Scott Paul,  the President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing .    Scott and host Lori Wallach  discuss how increasingly Democrats and Republicans alike now view tariffs as just another policy tool. For most of U.S. history, this was t...

Our latest episode of the Rethinking Trade podcast offers an urgent update about the de minimis loophole that we first discussed in 2022. It has gotten much worse . E-commerce sites like Amazon, Shein and Temu use this loophole to skirt U.S. Customs and safety inspections and dodge all taxes and trade-cheating enforcement sanctions. Uyghur forced-labor products slip in and fake and dangerous goods...

In our latest episode, we have two very special guests - voices you will know - talking about a corporate trade power tool that definitely should be on the “out with the old” list! We’re talking about Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) and its implications for our economies and democracies. First, a quick refresher:   What is ISDS?  ISDS grants foreign investors special rights and privileges...

Welcome back to the Rethinking Trade podcast. Today we bring you the second half of our conversation with Suresh Venkatasubramanian. Suresh co-authored the Biden administration’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, and is a leading national expert on AI oversight. With the imminent Biden Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence setting binding U.S. AI policy, there’s never been a better time to...