This chapter explores the historical context of the International Trade Organization and its implications for modern trade policy, emphasizing the need to learn from past experiences. It discusses the relevance of labor standards, the challenges workers face, and critiques current globalization practices that exploit both workers and the environment. Additionally, the conversation highlights the complexities of economic coercion and the importance of strengthening supply chains amidst evolving global trade dynamics.
One of the rare areas of bipartisan consensus in the US right now, is on the need to change our trading relationship with China. Former President Donald Trump started a process of putting tariffs on Chinese goods and limiting the export of certain key technologies. This has only expanded under the Biden administration, with expanded restrictions on things like electric vehicles, solar panels, and semiconductors. So what's the thinking behind this drive? What are the goals and what are the risks? On this episode we speak with the United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Ambassador Tai describes what she sees as a rethink, or a new version of, globalization. She explains the new worker-centric priorities, how trade fits into domestic investments, and what a healthy version of international economic relations actually looks like.
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