Trade Talks

Chad P. Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics hosts Trade Talks, a podcast focused specifically on the economics of international trade and trade policy. The show has become essential listening during an era of tariff wars, supply chain disruptions, and shifting global alliances. Bown brings on top trade economists, legal scholars, and policy experts to break down what is actually happening when governments impose tariffs, negotiate trade agreements, or rewrite the rules of commerce. In 2025, the show produced emergency episodes covering sweeping tariff announcements, featured Nobel laureate Paul Krugman discussing industrial policy under the current administration, and examined the de minimis rule that affects small packages from China. Each episode runs about 30 to 45 minutes and typically centers on a single trade issue or recent policy development. Bown is a meticulous researcher -- he co-created a widely cited tariff tracking database -- and his preparation shows in the precision of his questions. The show manages to make trade policy, which can be dry and technical, genuinely engaging by connecting abstract policy decisions to real-world consequences for businesses, workers, and consumers. The guest roster draws heavily from academic economists and former trade officials, giving listeners access to the people who actually study and shape trade policy. Trade Talks fills a specific niche that no other economics podcast quite covers. If you want to understand tariffs, trade wars, and the rules governing global commerce, this is the most focused and authoritative show available.