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

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. Along the way, we break down the increasingly blurry line between trade policy and geopolitics, why AI is now after your desk job, and how sober tailgates and millennial nostalgia are the new macro indicators.

Special Guest: Patrick McGee, FT journalist and author of Apple in China, joins us to explain:

• Why Apple didn’t just outsource manufacturing to China—it helped build it

• How a $55B investment strategy turned into a Marshall Plan for advanced manufacturing

• Why decoupling is harder than we think, and what it means for the future of globalization

Also in this episode:

• Is trade policy dead—or just dressed up as national security?

• The AI job shock: not just repetitive tasks, but white-collar jobs too

• A big new EU–Switzerland trade deal (and an even bigger name: “The Bilaterals”)

• Listener feedback, airline mysteries, stolen sausage secrets, and the return of All-American Rejects

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows.

Description: In Episode 79 of Trade Splaining, Rob and Ardian dive deep into the surprising relevance of decarbonizing global shipping, why GDP might not be the best metric anymore, and how the EU and UK are slowly making Brexit... not a thing. We also ask: is multilateralism really dead—or just resting?

💡 What You'll Hear in This Episode:

• Circular Reasoning (with actual logic): Guest Eva-Maria Bille of the European Environmental Bureau unpacks why circular economy policies matter more than ever—especially in a world of inflation, geopolitics, and defense budgets.

• Shipping News That Doesn’t Suck: The IMO’s historic (kind of) net-zero deal for shipping by 2050, what it means, and why it’s both hopeful and half-baked.

• Sell America? Moody’s downgrades the US credit rating, tourism is slowing, and Americans are quietly flocking to Swiss banks. Coincidence? We think not.

• GDP Is Over Party: A new push to rethink how we measure economic health. Is it time to dump GDP in favor of balance sheet metrics?

• Brexit: The Silent Patch-Up: A new EU-UK trade deal smooths post-Brexit trade pain. Is it a quiet realignment or political heresy?

• Swiss Wool Emergency & War Readiness: From Geneva’s updated war brochure to a growing sheep wool crisis, it’s your must-hear Swiss WTFs.

🔁 Also Featuring:

• Listener shoutouts to "Eric" and Ron "Burgundy"

• Michelle’s "Vibe Shift" report: Enron eggs, TikTok satire, and the birds that were never real

• A kebab-off between Geneva and Beirut

• A surprisingly accurate Bond reference and sheep-related crisis management

📬 Subscribe, review, share—and email us your feedback or best kebab takes at TSpotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode Summary: In Episode 77 of Trade Splaining, we dig into China’s very own “China Shock,” why Budweiser is going budget in Shanghai, and how the global economy might be looking a lot more like... China’s.

Plus, New York Times journalist Peter S. Goodman returns for his third appearance to discuss how the ground-level impact of tariffs is changing the game—from Colombian factory floors to bourbon country in Kentucky.

We’re also talking nearshoring, recession vibes, and why Geneva’s exotic bird problems could signal more than just invasive species.

🔍 In this episode:

• Why China’s slowdown is not just about growth, but a structural shift in manufacturing

• What the "China China Shock" means for global supply chains

• Is Trump’s tariff plan actually a branding strategy?

• What whiskey, rye, and Louisville have to do with nationalism

• And…the clean girl aesthetic as a recession indicator 🧴

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Special Guest: 📚 Peter S. Goodman – Global Economic Correspondent at The New York Times and author of How the World Ran Out of Everything

🔗 Connect with us:

• X / Twitter: @TradeSplaining

• Instagram: @trade.splaining

• Email: tradesplaining@gmail.com

Episode Summary: In this episode of Trade Splaining, we unpack the latest twists in the Green Transition—spoiler alert: China’s winning. We also explore how chaos is reshaping global trade, why Manchester United’s new stadium might cost a fortune (hint: tariffs), and the Swiss government's crackdown on... cheap meat?

Our guest, Professor Joost Pauwelyn, joins us to break down 21st-century customs fraud, how trade rules are shifting, and why the WTO may actually survive this era of economic uncertainty.

If you’ve ever wondered how renewable energy, geopolitics, and tariffs intersect—or whether you should still care about composting—this episode is for you.

🔹 In This Episode:

• China’s dominance in the Green Transition and why Europe is struggling to keep up
• The hidden cost of Manchester United’s new stadium—tariffs, steel prices, and trade wars
• Switzerland’s unexpected role as the world's top container trader
• What’s happening with customs fraud, sustainability standards, and the rise of "trade surveillance"
• The future of WTO, and why reciprocal tariffs might actually save it
• And, of course, a deep dive into Geneva’s most pressing issue—affordable meat

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

🔗 Links & Mentions:

• Follow us on Twitter/X
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• Have a hot take? Email us at tradesplaining@gmail.com