Trade Talks

Latest Episodes:

192. Will more farm trade cause more deforestation? Oct 22, 2023

Show notes

As trade with farm exporting countries expands, governments must also consider how to prevent deforestation.

191. Brazil’s trade opening and its toll on workers and crime Oct 15, 2023

Show notes

How Brazil’s trade liberalization of the 1990s led to unexpected and lasting impacts on workers and a temporary rise in violence.

190. Climate change, floods, and the future of auto supply chains Jul 30, 2023

Show notes

What consumers can expect from auto companies investing in supply chain resilience as weather disasters loom.

189. South Korea’s controversial industrial policy Jul 23, 2023

Show notes

How South Korea’s Heavy and Chemical Industry Drive policy of 1973-79 worked and may have contributed to its economic rise.

188. Did responsible sourcing by multinationals help workers in poor countries? Jul 16, 2023

Show notes

What happened to workers and others in Costa Rica when global companies imposed new responsible sourcing codes of conduct on their suppliers.

187. Industrial policy and the rise of Romania’s Silicon Valley Jul 09, 2023

Show notes

How a 2001 income tax break for Romanian software programmers helped transform the country’s information technology sector.

186. How US lead regulations hurt Mexican babies Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

Higher US lead standards in 2009 resulted in more production and pollution from Mexican plants. Nearby infants and kids suffered.

185. The historic collapse of Switzerland’s watch industry Jun 18, 2023

Show notes

New quartz technology and competition from Japan devastated the dominant Swiss watch industry of the 1970s. What happened next?

184. The US-EU fights over electric vehicles and the Inflation Reduction Act May 07, 2023

Show notes

EVs headlined the transatlantic dispute over the Inflation Reduction Act. That feud may be over, but other conflicts remain.

183. How the United States cleaned up container ship pollution Apr 30, 2023

Show notes

In 2012, the EPA started regulating maritime emissions of air pollutants. The shipping industry’s response offers lessons for other countries.