Circus AND Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade with Kate Foronda

In the season finale of Circus & Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , Kate Foronda explores a quiet reality influencing modern commerce: supply chain espionage - a practice that has always existed, but now operates in very different ways. Inspired by the true story behind The Spy and the legendary Mossad agent Eli Cohen, this episode draws a powerful parallel between classic human intelligence a...

Blue Gold: The Coming Trade in Water Why water is becoming the world’s most strategic resource Water covers most of our planet, however, it is becoming one of the most limited and powerful resources in global trade.  In this episode of Circus and Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , Kate Foronda explores why water, not oil or data, may define the next era of global economics. From food and agricultu...

Trade decisions are not made by spreadsheets alone. They are made by people, and people are biased. In this episode of Circus & Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade podcast ,  Kate Foronda explores how behavioral biases quietly shape global trade negotiations, commodity markets, and supply-chain decisions. From anchoring and overconfidence in deal-making to herding, sunk-cost thinking, and recency...

Africa is entering a new trade era. The AfCFTA is connecting 1.3 billion people across 54 countries into one historic market. In Episode 21 of Circus and Circuit, Kate Foronda goes inside this transformation and explains how investment, infrastructure, and fintech are quietly rewriting the continent’s trade landscape. She also shares a personal encounter with Sir James Mancham , the founding presi...

What does it take to keep the world fed?  In 2023, more than 345 million people faced acute food insecurity. At the same time, global grain movement was repeatedly interrupted by conflict, climate shocks, droughts, and rising transport risks. In Episode 20, Kate Foronda examines how these pressures are changing the very routes that deliver wheat, rice, corn, and other staples to the world’s most v...

In this episode, Kate Foronda explores the minerals that quietly power our world from lithium and cobalt to aluminium and rare earth elements. These resources drive electric vehicles, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence, but they also carry enormous environmental, social, and geopolitical costs.  Kate shares insights from her travels across Chile, where she saw how mining has shaped comm...

A few weeks after NYC Climate Week 2025, oil prices are rising again. Another round of global pledges was made — yet tankers, pipelines, and LNG terminals keep expanding.  We call it decarbonization , but the world hasn’t really de-petrolized.  In this episode, I take a hard look at the paradox behind our “green transition.” From OPEC+ fall meetings to Aramco’s profits, from Russia’s shadow export...

Can pollution really be traded like oil, wheat, or gold? In this episode, Kate Foronda takes you inside the complex world of carbon credits — where one ton of emissions becomes a tradable unit on global markets. We’ll explore:  How carbon credits work, from cap-and-trade systems in the EU ETS , California , and China , to voluntary offsets verified by standards like Verra and Gold Standard . Real-...

The US Open is more than a tennis tournament - it’s a global business machine. Each year, the event generates over $1.2 billion in economic impact for New York City, attracts visitors from every continent, and turns Flushing Meadows into a hub of international commerce. In this episode of Circus & Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , host Kate Foronda takes you behind the matches to explore: How...

In this episode of Circus and Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , host Kate Foronda explores one of the most urgent questions of our time: Can law keep up with the machine? This episode examines the growing AI policy gap , and how it threatens to create more than just legal headaches — but real friction in cross-border commerce, environmental responsibility, and digital sovereignty.  🎧 Topics incl...

Artificial intelligence may feel invisible — but its power bill is very real. In this episode of Circus and Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , host Kate Foronda explores how AI’s explosive growth is putting pressure on the world’s power grids, energy markets, and environmental ambitions. From data center alley in Virginia to solar cities in Saudi Arabia, we trace the global electricity footprint o...

In this mid-year special Episode 13 of Circus and Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , host Kate Foronda recaps the first 12 episodes of the podcast, exploring the key lessons learned across commodities, sanctions, shipping, social commerce, AI, and more.  Whether you’ve been with her from Episode 1 or you’re just tuning in, this is your all-in-one look at the shifts, surprises, and stories shaping...

In 2024, global social commerce sales hit an estimated $1.3 trillion — and by 2028, that number is expected to nearly double. What’s fueling this surge? Not traditional supply chains, but short videos, viral trends, and influencer-driven demand.  In this episode, host Kate Foronda unpacks how platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are becoming the new global storefronts — transforming how p...

From U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using AI to catch fake goods at the border, to Amazon’s AI-driven warehouses and Maersk’s smart ports — Episode 11 explores how artificial intelligence is rapidly taking over global trade. You will learn: How logistics giants like Amazon and Maersk are using AI to streamline operations.  How CBP uses algorithms to detect fraud and flag suspicious shipm...

What do Netflix, Disney, BTS, and McDonald’s have in common? They don’t just sell content, music, or meals — they sell culture . And they’ve built billion-dollar strategies around turning identity into product. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kate Foronda unpacks how culture has become a global commodity — branded, packaged, and monetized at scale. From fast fashion runways to streaming platfo...

From McDonald’s glocal menus and Netflix’s global programming to fashion mashups and Instagram-optimized spaces , global trade is reshaping not just how we consume culture — but what culture even is . In Part 1, we looked at how culture enters the market. Now in Part 2, we examine what happens after it’s sold. Join Kate Foronda as she breaks down the forces driving this transformation:  # Homogeni...

Can you call your business sustainable if your supply chain pollutes — or your company avoids taxes?   In this powerful Episode 9, host Kate Foronda unpacks one of the most urgent shifts in global trade: the rise of sustainability as a strategic advantage in the commodities industry. With over $1.7 trillion in trade now influenced by ESG-related policy , the way companies extract, transport, and f...

Why does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ( DEI) matter in international business — and why are so many people still being left out of global trade? In this episode, host Kate Foronda breaks down the critical connection between DEI and global markets. We explore who gets a seat at the table, what structural and cultural barriers still hold others back, and why many DEI programs fail to deliver rea...

Sanctions are powerful tools — but they are often invisible to the public eye. In the episode 7 of Circus & Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , Kate Foronda takes you behind the scenes of how sanctions shape global markets, disrupt supply chains, and impact both nations and everyday people. Kate will break down: What sanctions are and who enforces them. How sanctions have played out in real-wor...

Episode 6 of Circus and Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade is here! This week, Kate is diving into one of the most talked-about — and misunderstood — forces shaping the world economy: trade wars and tariffs . From rising prices at home to global political tension abroad, we break down who actually benefits… and who’s stuck with the bill. She’ll talk about: Why U.S. tariffs are at their highest level...

In Episode 5, we explore the world of Women in Commodities — why the industry has been dominated by men for so long, what’s finally starting to shift, and how women will continue bringing strong leadership, fresh ideas, and innovation to the space. You’ll hear inspiring stories, key stats, and real examples of how the future of commodities trading will look different — with more women leading the...

In Episode 4 of Circus and Circuit , Kate Foronda pulls back the curtain on the real world of physical commodity trading . Forget the image of traders glued to screens, watching stock prices fluctuate. Physical traders deal with real goods, real risks, and real relationships —navigating complex logistics, securing deals, and making split-second decisions that can mean millions in profit or loss . ...

Did you know that almost 90% of everything we buy has traveled in a shipping container? Yet, despite this revolutionary invention, global trade still faces massive bottlenecks, delays, and shortages. In the previous episode Kate was talking about The Trade Routes That Shaped the World and today she advances her discourse on international trade and talks about something very essential but often ove...

In this Episode 2: The Trade Routes That Shaped the World, the host Kate Foronda discusses how trade has always been more than just exchanging goods— it’s about power, politics, and profit. She takes listeners on a historical journey through the world’s most influential trade routes , exploring their profound impact on today’s global economy. What’s Inside This Episode? 🚛 The Silk Road – A 4,000-...

In this very first episode of Circus & Circuit: Unraveling Global Trade , host Kate Foronda introduces the show, its purpose, and what listeners can expect in the episodes to come.  This podcast is all about understanding the two sides of global trade—the structured systems ( the Circuit ) and the unpredictable challenges ( the Circus ). Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an entrepreneur,...