Trade Splaining
Episodes
Tariffs Struck Down… Then Came Back + A Middle East Conflict That Threatens Food Prices ft. Peter S Goodman (NYT)
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
🎧 Episode 85 – Tariffs Struck Down… Then Came Back + Middle East Conflict Threatens Food Prices Have tariffs really been rolled back — or jus...
Tariffs, Trade Policy, and Looking Ahead: Is the Rules-Based Trading System Breaking Down?
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 84 is here — and yes, 84 is the atomic number of polonium, 1984 is Orwellian, and Van Halen absolutely peaked. You’re welcome. We’re joi...
Trade, National Security and 2026 Walk Into a Bar
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is everything national security now? In Episode 83 of Trade Splaining, Ardi & Rob kick off 2026 by diving head-first into the growing chaos at the...
Tariffs, Tomato Paste, and the End-of-Year Recap
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 82 of Trade Splaining, Ardian Mollabeqiri and Robert Skidmore close out the year with an end-of-year global trade reality check. This episo...
Tariffs, Tech, and Toxic Metals: What We Missed This Summer
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trade Splaining is back! After a summer break (and one new baby later), Ardi and Rob return to make sense of what’s changed — and what hasn’t —...
The (new) New Trade Policy, AI and How Apple Helped Build Modern China ft. Patrick McGee of the FT
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 80 of Trade Splaining, we’re pulling back the curtain on everything from secret sausage wars to how Apple helped build modern China. Alon...
Shipping Goes Net Zero, Sell America and Talking Circular Economy
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Description: In Episode 79 of Trade Splaining, Rob and Ardian dive deep into the surprising relevance of decarbonizing global shipping, why GDP might ...
Tariffs, Trade Turbulence & Customs Insights ft. Lars Karlsson
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 78 of Trade Splaining, hosts Rob and Ardi explore the complex impact of tariffs on global trade, the humorous yet insightful nature of epis...
China’s China Shock & Tariff Reality Check ft. Peter S. Goodman
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 77: China’s China Shock & Tariff Reality Check ft. Peter S. Goodman Episode Summary: In Episode 77 of Trade Splaining, we dig into China...
The Green Transition, Customs Fraud & Why Tariffs Might Save the WTO (sort of)
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Summary: In this episode of Trade Splaining, we unpack the latest twists in the Green Transition—spoiler alert: China’s winning. We also e...
The Trade War Heats Up, China’s Biotech Rise & Switzerland’s Beaver Problem
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 75: Tariffs, Work From Home & Beaver Hunting? Episode Summary: In this episode of Tradesplaining, Rob and Ardi tackle tariffs, Gen Z’s m...
Tomato Tariffs, AI's Sputnik Moment and Taliban Tourism
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Summary: In this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Rob and Ardi dive into the latest on tariffs, AI disruptions, and surprising tourism trends...
2025 Predictions Episode
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Trade Splaining, the podcast that makes sense of international trade, business, and expat life without putting you to sleep! In our first e...
Predicting Economic Trends, Indigenous Art, and the Revival of Mercantilism
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 72: Predicting Economic Trends, Indigenous Art, and the Revival of Mercantilism In this week’s episode of Trade Splaining, Rob and Ardian ex...
Tarantulas, Tariffs, and Trade Wars: Ambassador Maria Pagan on Global Trade’s Future
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 71: Tarantulas, Tariffs, and Trade Wars: Ambassador Maria Pagan on Global Trade’s Future In this week’s episode of Tradesplaining, Rob and...
Diverging Economies: US vs. EU, Turkey’s BRICS Pivot, and New Globalization Narratives ft. Nicholas Lamp
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 70: Diverging Paths, Turkey’s BRICS Aspirations, and Narratives on Globalization ft. Nicholas Lamp Welcome to Episode 70 of Trade Splaining!...
Re-Globalization, Chinese Stimulus, and Worker-Centered Trade Policy ft. Ambassador Maria Pagan
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Trade Splaining Episode 69! In this episode, hosts Rob and Ardian are joined by Ambassador Maria Pagan, U.S. representative to the WTO, to ...
Trade, National Security and the WTO Walk Into a Bar
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 68 – Trade, National Security, and the WTO Walk Into a Bar Welcome to Trade Splaining – the podcast that makes sense of international trad...
Cheese Wars, Coal's Comeback, and Strava Jockeys (It’s a thing)
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 67: Cheese Wars, Coal's Comeback, and Strava Jockeys (It’s a thing) Welcome to Episode 67 of Tradesplaining! In this episode, hosts Rob and ...
More EU Regulations, Shifting Summer Tourism and Uncovering Why Politicians Lie About Trade with Dimitry Grozoubinski
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tradesplaining Podcast Episode 66: More EU Regulations, Shifting Summer Tourism and Uncovering Why Politicians Lie About Trade with author Dimitry Gro...
AI, China(again) and Rethinking Supply Chains with Peter S. Goodman
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Episode 65 of Tradesplaining! This week, hosts Rob and Ardian dive into the intricacies of the U.S. borrowing its way to economic growth, t...
The Tariffs Keep on Coming, While Mexico is Stuck in the Middle
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 64 - "The Tariffs Keep on Coming, While Mexico is Stuck in the Middle" Hosts: Ardian Mollabeqiri and Robert Skidmore Guest: Lars Karlsson, Glo...
Bidenomics, Swiss Voters & Navigating the Path to Net-zero (or not)
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 63 - Bidenomics, Swiss Voters & Navigating the Path to Net-zero (or not) Â Episode Overview: In this thought-provoking episode of Tradesp...
More Supply Chain Disruptions, Baltimore Bridge Collapse and Trade Statistics
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 62: Unraveling the Threads of Global Trade and the Quirks of Expat Life Welcome to Episode 62 of TradeSplaining, where your hosts, Rob and Ard...
Unpacking MC13 while Switzerland, India and EFTA Make Trade Great Again
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 61: Unpacking MC13 while Switzerland, India and EFTA Make Trade Great Again Hosts: Rob and Ardian Episode Summary: Welcome to Tradesplaining, ...
WTO Ministerial Conference MC13, Climate Change, Inflation & More Fragmentation
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Episode 60 of Trade Splaining. This episode, we're zooming into the challenges global policymakers face at MC13 in Abu Dhabi, touching on c...
Red Sea Shipping, Sustainable Farming in the EU and More Evergrande
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 59: Red Sea Shipping, Sustainable Farming in the EU and More Evergrande with Simon Evenett Welcome to Episode 59 of Tradesplaining - This week...
Talking FairTrade in an Age of Inflation and the EV Hunger Games
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tradesplaining Episode 58: Fairtrade in an Age of Regulation and The Bow Tax In the 58th episode of the Tradesplaining podcast, hosts Rob and Ardian e...
Year-End Episode: Unpacking COP28, Reflecting on 2023 and Predictions for 2024
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this year-end episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Rob and Ardian discuss significant events in international trade in 2023 and predict potential tren...
Early Returns from COP 28, Tesla vs Swedish Workers and the Global Minimum Corporate Tax
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 56:  👉 Early returns from COP 28, land the adventures of a rare duck in geneva. 👉 Tesla goes at it with Swedish workers and what it...
A Cloudier Path to a Low-Carbon Future, US Trade Policy Setbacks in Asia & More China De-risking
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 55:  👉 Do high interest rates, inflation and geopolitical tensions and other factors driving an increased focus on energy security mak...
Green Transition’s Winners & Losers, Nearshoring Positives(?) and Covid Supply Shocks 3 Years Later
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 54:  👉 Will workers be left out of the coming Green Transition? 👉 Does nearshoring mean that American manufacturing is back? 👉 H...
Fragmented Trade, CBAM, COP28 and EVs
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 53:  👉 Looking ahead to COP28 👉 The EU leaning in with the CBAM finally taking effect October 1 👉 Winners and Losers from a fra...
China’s Lagging Growth, Digital Trade and Slowing Auto Industry Demand
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 52:  👉 Looking at how slumping demand in China may to be dragging down global trade 👉 Why the days of tax free Digital Trade may be...
Climate Change, War, AI & the Hollywood Writers Strike
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#TradeSplaining is back with a new episode!  Listen wherever you get you podcasts :http://ibit.ly/uJzpT  👉 Looking at how Climate Change, AI ...
China’s Turn in the Trade War, De-Risking and Wageflation ft. Arancha González Laya
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this special milestone episode, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Arancha Gonzalez, Dean of the Paris School of Internatio...
Climate Change, Artificial Intelligence and Microchips ft. Chris Miller, author of Chip War
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Chris Miller, Associate Professor of International History at the Fletcher...
Commercial Real Estate Prices, Changing Luxury Trends and Climate Change(ing) Supply Chains
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Annette Ssemuwemba, Deputy Executive Director at the Enhanced Integrated F...
An Ever Worsening Global Outlook, China & Brazil, and Market Access is Still a Thing
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined by Kent Wilska, Director of the Sustainable Trade Unit at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, to discuss what ...
Credit Suisse, a Renewed Focus on Africa & Tariffs Are Still Bad (apparently)
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined by Iana Dreyer, Founder and Editor of Borderlex, to discuss the state of EU and US trade relations, where we go from he...
Emerging India, SVB, & Human Rights Still in the Spotlight
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined once again by Professor Dorothée Baumann-Pauly, Director of the University of Geneva and NYU Stern Center's for Busin...
China, Supply Chains, The World Bank & Climate Change
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're joined once again by Jan Hoffmann, Chief - Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD, to discuss the state of play for the shipping ind...
Nearshoring, Green Subsidies & ChatGPT
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Richard Baldwin, author and Professor of International ...
The Death of Globalization (again), More China and the WTO
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Alessandro Fedele, Global Head, Private Sector, Innova...
2022 Re-Splained
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore look back on the year that was 2022 and recap the biggest new stories...
COP27, the Latest on the Global Minimum Tax & Talking Davos Man with Peter S. Goodman of the New York Times
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Peter S. Goodman, Global Economics Correspondent for th...
US Export Controls on China, More Inflation & Thinking Regionally When Talking Globalization
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Shannon O'Neil, Vice President, Deputy Director of Stud...
Exporting Inflation, China’s Belt & Road 2.0 and How Unions Got Their Groove Back
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Caroline Freund, Dean of the UC San Diego School of Glo...
China, Trade Deals & Changing Perceptions
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Dmitry Grozoubinski, lead trainer of ExplainTrade, Exec...
Taiwan, Tech & the WTO
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined Bryce Baschuk, Geneva-based reporter for Bloomberg News. T...
China, Trade Fragmentation and How To Avert a Food Crisis
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of TradeSplaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined Ian Goldin - Director of the Martin School and Professor at...
MC 12, Shifting Supply Chains and Trade & Human Rights
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of TradeSplaining, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined Chad P. Bown - Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the Peterson...
Supply Chains, ESG and Big Tech
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of TradeSplaining, Lars Karlsson - Global Head of Trade & Customs consulting at A.P. Møller-Mærsk joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and...
De-Globalization, Inflation and Why Oil is The New Oil
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of TradeSplaining, Inu Mank - Trade Policy Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations -Â joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Sk...
Globalization’s Over (Again), Elon Musk and Market Concentration
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of TradeSplaining, Jan Eeckhout - author, economist and professor - joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore on Trade Splain...
Inflation (Again), Ardi’s back, and is Globalization Over?
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Tradesplaining, Ardi finally returns from his unpaid sick leave ready with the hot takes on globalisation, supply chains, and of co...
Trade’s Excellent Adventure: The Future of the WTO, Sanctions & Ukraine
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join Rob and Michelle as they discuss Ukraine and Russia, Russia and Ukraine, and the future of the WTO. And in an interview recorded before the confl...
China, the Good, the Bad, and the Evergrande
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore explore what we always get wrong about China with recovering ex-journalist and founder of Darken Light Consulti...
2021 Re-Splained: COVID, Inequality, Inflation and Supply Chains
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of 2021 , Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore close out the year in their very own Trade Splaining way by recapping the year t...
WTO Ministerial, US - China Trade Tensions and Breaking Down ESG
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kristina Touzenis, Head of the Geneva Chapter of Women in Sustainable Finance and Former Head of International Migration Law Unit at the Internation...
COP 26, China and Modeling the Future with Mark Esposito
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mark Esposito, scholar, Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Nexus Frontier Tech joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore on Trade S...
China‘s Evergande Problem, Trade Agreements and Facebook the Monopoly
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Ariel Aaronson, Director of the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub at George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs in...
For Everything Else, Theres Maersk: Digital Customs, Supply Chains, Luxury Brands and China
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lars Karlsson, Global Head of Trade and Customs at A.P. Møller – Mærsk joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore on Trade Splaining to ta...
Commodities, Customs and Coconuts
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Al Gina, president and co-founder of CT strategies and former assistant commissioner for international trade at the US customs and border protection...
Tariffs, Inflation and the G7 Global Corporate Minimum Tax
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
 International trade scholar Simon Evenett of the University of St. Gallen Dr. joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore on Trade Splaini...
Inflation, Trade Deals...and Brexit is still a thing
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Customs and international trade expert Dr. Anna Jerzewska joins hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore on Trade Splaining to recap where we are ...
Trade Splaining with the Trade Guys: The New Normal for US Trade Policy
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Trade experts Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch, co-hosts of the Trade Guys podcast at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) join  ho...
Trade, Agriculture and Climate Change: Why It's Not So Simple
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Doaa Abdel-Motaal, Senior Counsellor at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland joins Trade Splaining to talk about the not-so-obvious lin...
Trade, Climate Change & Sustainability
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The TradeSplainers are joined by Ronald Steenblik, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Sustainable Development to talk about...
Happily "Ever" After: Trade in the Aftermath of the Suez Canal Blockage
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jan Hoffmann, Head of the Trade Logistics Branch at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) joins the Trade Splainers to discuss: What exa...
Trade, Business and Human Rights: Why This Time It's Different
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dorothée Baumann-Pauly, Director of the Geneva University Centre for Business and Human Rights and Research Director at the NYU Stern Center for Busi...
Services Trade, Globalization and Why Trade Policy Matters
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pierre Sauvé, Senior Trade Specialist at the World Bank joins Trade Splaining to discuss why services trade is different and how trade policy can hel...
Digital Trade and Technology: Can Governments Keep Up?
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ziyang David Fan, Head of Digital Trade at the World Economic Forum joins Trade Splaining to continue the discussion on all the things digital, includ...
Special Bonus Episode: Part 2 of Interview with Richard Baldwin
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of our interview with Richard Baldwin, author of "The Globotics Upheaval: Globalisation, Robotics and the Future of Work" and Professor of Inte...
Globalization, Technology and the Future of Work in the Age of Globotics
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Baldwin, author and Professor of International Economics at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland joins Trade Splaining to discuss how...
Holiday Bonus Episode: Part 2 of Matthew Wilson Interview
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew Wilson, Chief of Staff at the International Trade Centre in Geneva, Switzerland joins the Trade Splainers to discuss how small island states a...
Revenge of the SIDS: Small Island States, the WTO and Predictions for 2021
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew Wilson, Chief of Staff at the International Trade Centre in Geneva, Switzerland joins the Trade Splainers to discuss how small island states a...
The Plumbing of Trade: Supply Chains, Trucks and How We Get Our Stuff
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General of the IRU joins the Trade Splainers to discuss COVID-related shocks, what makes a real Canadian name, and why ro...
China on My Mind: Trade Tensions, Vaccine Diplomacy and Looking Ahead
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Clover of FT and Nikkei Asia joins Trade Splaining to give his first hand account of where China stands almost one year on from the COVID-19 o...
What to Expect When You're Electing: 2020 US Election 'Splainer
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Co-hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Rob Skidmore are joined by Daniel Warner in this special 2020 US election 'splainer episode. They discuss the state of...
Bonus Episode: Part 2 with Marie Owens Thomsen
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bonus Episode of part 2 of Trade Splaining interview with Marie Owens Thomsen of Lombard Odier
Green is Good: Trade, Banking, Sustainability and ABBA(?)
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Marie Owens Thomsen joins Trade Splaining to discuss the latest in the world of trade, economics and finance as well as tell us why sustainability is ...
COVID, Brexit and the Future of Work
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recapping the latest events in the trade war and Brexit as well as an insightful interview with Barbara Ramos on what COVID means for the future of tr...
The Hoff-Mann Cometh - COVID, Maritime Shipping and Haircuts
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing the latest developments in the US elections and global events. Jan Hoffmann of UNCATD stops by to discuss the state of maritime shipping, h...
Feel the Bern(-ard) Hoekman - Trade, the WTO and.... Michigan(?)
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Premier episode of the Trade Splaining podcast. Co-hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Rob Skidmore recap 2020 and all things COVID, current events and trade...
Official Trailer: The Trade Splaining Podcast
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A fun and entertaining look at current events, trade and the United Nations, brought to you from the perspective of two American expats and UN civ...