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 intersection of trade policy, geopolitics, and national security exceptions — the legal loophole that ate the global trading system.

We break down why trade is no longer just about efficiency or tariffs, but increasingly about power, leverage, and security theatre — from Greenland and semiconductors to Japan–China tensions and WTO rule-stretching.

Then we’re joined (again) by two of our favourite adults in the room:

• Dr. Mona Paulsen (LSE)

• Prof. Greg Messenger (University of Bristol)

Together, we unpack:

• Why “national security” now seems to cover everything except furniture

• Whether today’s chaos is a temporary shock — or a return to how trade always worked

• What businesses should actually watch for amid policy incoherence

• Whether the US is still a reliable anchor for the global trading system

• And why the real question isn’t what Washington does — but what everyone else does next

Plus:

• A new 2026 format (more depth, fewer Lake Geneva anecdotes — we promise)

• Sleep-bro optimisation culture (yes, really)

• AI, soft skills, and why getting your boss coffee is apparently back

• Donuts, laundry, and the National Security Exception™ as a life philosophy

🎙️ No opinions. Just vibes. And trade law.

👉 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. 📩 Questions? trade.splaining@gmail.com 🔔 Like, subscribe, follow — appease the algorithm.

#TradeSplaining #GlobalTrade #NationalSecurity #Geopolitics #TradePolicy #WTO #SupplyChains #ListenResponsibly

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 episode covers:

• Why Europe’s energy transition is starting to hit household wallets

• China’s overcapacity problem — from electric vehicles to tomato paste

• Why tariffs are proving inflationary (again) and failing to cut trade deficits

• How supply chains keep finding workarounds, no matter the policy

• Rising debt and capital outflows facing developing economies

• What “fragmentation” looks like in practice — and whether there’s a third way

No guest this time — just a wide-ranging news roundup, listener feedback, and a reminder that when pizza orders start shrinking, something bigger is going on.

🎧 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

📩 Get in touch: tradesplaining@gmail.com 🐦 Follow us on Twitter/X & BlueSky | 📸 Instagram | 💼 LinkedIn

Listen responsibly.

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 — in global trade, business, and expat life. From the latest round of tariffs and China’s “pivot” away from developing-country status at the WTO, to why AI might be the next big trade disruptor, we break down the stories shaping the global economy in 2025.

We’re also joined by Neil Shearing, Chief Economist at Capital Economics and author of The Fractured Age, to unpack how geopolitical rivalries are reshaping globalization — or maybe just rearranging it.

In This Episode:

• 🎵 Why global trade sounds like a Kelly Clarkson song

• 🇨🇳 China’s slowdown vs. export boom — and what Michael Pettis got right

• 💸 Why tariffs haven’t been inflationary (yet)

• 🧠 How AI is quietly rewriting the rules of services trade

• 🌍 Neil Shearing on the U.S.–China split, Europe’s role, and who wins in a fractured world

• 🕰️ Plus: Swiss MAGA farmers, salmon sperm facials as recession indicators, and the new rock-solid watch from Tissot

Keywords: global trade podcast, Trade Splaining, Neil Shearing, The Fractured Age, deglobalization, US-China trade war, WTO 2025, AI and trade, services trade, tariffs inflation, global economy podcast