We were pleased to co-host the opening plenary of the @wto.org #WTOPublicForum, moderated by our @chadpbown.com & @ceciliamalmstrom.bsky.social on "Trade, trust and transformation: Business perspectives." Watch here: youtu.be/ItHpmpYSsCw?...

The WTO has named Robert Staiger as its new Chief Economist. Here is my @trade--talks.bsky.social podcast conversation in 2023 with Bob where he shared his thoughts about the WTO.

COMING APRIL 2026

SCOOP: We have figured it out! @soumayakeynes.ft.com and I are getting the Trade Talks team back together - not to podcast, but to write a book explaining HOW TO WIN A TRADE WAR Look for it at your local bookstore in April 2026, or pre-order it here or wherever you get yours a.co/d/d4qPo3p

U.S. Court of International Trade said the president had overstepped his authority under the federal emergency powers law he invoked. by Tony Romm & @anaswanson.bsky.social

NEW EXPORT CONTROLS? US reportedly orders EDA companies to stop selling semiconductor design software to China.

MY LATEST: Fear that a foreign export restriction will imperil economic security has driven part of the recent turn to tariffs. How even modest cooperation between like-minded countries over trade/industrial policy now requires that they also commit not to use export restrictions on each other.

UK and US are reportedly close to a limited trade pact that cushions the impact of Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs by granting lower-tariff quotas for British car and steel exports, according to officials in London and Washington. by @aimewilliams.bsky.social et al

Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs www.piie.com/events/2025/... With @chadpbown.com and @aranchagonzalez.bsky.social

i think TARIFF might mean something different here in Glasgow

a huge honor to be invited to Glasgow for the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy conference

they don’t like tariffs

Ford stops exporting pickup trucks, SUVs and sports cars to China because of retaliatory tariffs, the latest effect on the auto sector from the Trump’s escalating trade war. by Mike Colias

BUCKET LIST!!! have become a Statista chart

Focus, for a moment, on all of the goods that remain hit by Trump's massive new tariff barrage. Excellent explainer and data viz from @nassosstylianou.bsky.social et al

The Presidential Memorandum exempting smartphones — errr, things that have semiconductors in them — from some of Trump’s tariffs is now available

In historical terms, today’s exemptions do mirror Trump’s exceptions for smartphones and consumer electronics during the Trump 1.0 tariff barrage of 2018-19…

Some big exemptions to Trump's reciprocal tariffs here, notably on consumer goods like smartphones, laptops, earphones etc. Big win for US tech, esp Apple. www.ft.com/content/3eb4...

Trump reportedly has now decided to also exclude smartphones from the steep tariffs he first announced April 2. (Details on implementation TBD) by @aimewilliams.bsky.social et al

TARIFF CHART UPDATE (Apr 11 edition): - Chinese average tariffs on imports from US are now 147.6% (Jan 20, 2025: 21.2%) (China announced 125% matching tariffs overnight)

just like President Trump's tariffs, would like to announce that i too am on pause for the next 90 days

can confirm. US average tariff on China of 134.7 percent is still a "really, really high tariff" Source: www.piie.com/research/pii...

TARIFF UPDATE (Apr 10 edition): - US average tariffs on imports from China are 134.7% (Jan 20, 2025: 20.8%) - Chinese average tariffs on imports from US are 106.6% (Jan 20, 205: 21.2%) NOTE: US average tariffs on imports from rest of world are now up to 10.5% (Jan 20, 2025: 3.0%)

Here is Trump Executive Order PAUSING tariffs on trade surplus countries & RAISING trade surplus tariffs on China to 125% (from 84%) Note: - US-China tariff chart to be updated soon - Yesterday's crazy high tariffs on rest of world were only suspended on Apr 10 - ie, were in effect for 24 hours!!!

with a h/t to @simonlester.com CBP has received an EO! Source: content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd...

Absolutely piercing insights from this guy: Source: www.ft.com/content/e5ba...

10:08pm ET. still no visible Executive Order. Going to sleep. Will update Tariff Chart tomorrow.

Why China has escalation dominance in this trade war. US gets vital goods from China that cannot be replaced anytime soon. Reducing such dependence may be reason for action, but fighting the current trade war before doing so is a recipe for disaster. by @adamposen.bsky.social

WHAT HAPPENS when President Trump SUDDENLY reverses US tariff policy - or part of it anyway - at the exact moment when you are on the horn with @kairyssdal.bsky.social ??? Have a listen to @marketplace.org 👇 www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...

can someone send me the Tariff Formula that explains this

This time our Tariff Chart update was accurate for 40 minutes before the President changed US tariffs again.

TARIFF UPDATE: - US average tariffs on imports from China are now 104.3% (was 20.8% on Jan 20, 2025) - Chinese average tariffs on imports from US are now 106.6% (was 21.2% on Jan 20, 2025) NOTE: US average tariffs on imports from rest of world are now up to 15.7% (was 3.0% on Jan 20, 2025)

Along with cuts to US development assistance, Trump's tariffs will potentially irrevocably harm US standing in the developing world. by @cullenhendrix.bsky.social

Trump's tariff plan displays a basic misunderstanding of the reasons why nations trade in the first place—reasons that imply the US will run deficits with some countries (bilateral deficits) and surpluses with others (bilateral surpluses). by Maury Obstfeld

Trump's tariffs? No one was asking for any of this. A recent Gallup poll found that 81% of Americans surveyed believe trade is a growth opportunity—the highest level since the poll began in 1992—and only 14% view trade as an economic threat. by @douglasirwin.bsky.social

Is President Trump legally authorized to impose all these tariffs? Or is he acting beyond his delegated authority? The VERY GREAT Kathleen Claussen provides a legal analysis.

The lack of communication between the Trump administration and Beijing shows no signs of letting up. by @lingling-wei.bsky.social

Once trade barriers are erected, they can prove super difficult to dismantle. Protection also spurs weird stuff, like needless product creation. My example: How the long history of protecting US sugar growers made high fructose corn syrup ubiquitous.

Skip still exhausted from the tariffs

this weekend, get a 30 minute explainer from the *brilliant* @soumayakeynes.ft.com, @douglasirwin.bsky.social, Kathleen Claussen, and Maury Obstfeld

Want to digest the tariff news in podcast form? Well today is your lucky day... I rejoin @chadpbown.com for this @trade--talks.bsky.social "tariff day" special. And we hear from Kathleen Claussen, Maury Obstfeld, and @douglasirwin.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Alas, Trade Talks has become required listening again... A very good episode.

wait. Trump hits Cameroon with a 11% tariff according to Annex I but Trump hits Cameroon with a 12% tariff according to Annex III CAN SOMEONE CHECK THE FORMULA???

On April 4, China announced 34% retaliatory tariffs against US exports in response to Trump's "Tarif Day" 34% tariffs on China of April 2. China: gss.mof.gov.cn/gzdt/zhengce... HOW HIGH were US-China TARIFFS toward each other BEFORE the 2 new tariff announcements? 👇👇

if i had to suffer through Tariff Day, at least i got to spend it with the world’s most amazing trade nerds — THANKS to the incomparable Soumaya Keynes for cohosting, and to Doug Irwin (history), Kathleen Claussen (law), and Maury Obstfeld (dollar) for sharing their brilliance on this week’s show

Meanwhile, back in Metropolis... Trump administration invokes Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) of USMCA for first time. US is worried about denial of worker rights - freedom of association / collective bargaining - in a Mexican auto parts plant. Source: ustr.gov/about/policy...

Today, April 2, President Trump added another 34% tariff on imports from China. This is in addition to the 10% on February 4, the 10% on March 4, and the substantial increase during Trump 1.0. Starting April 5, the average US tariff on imports from China will be 76%.