Skip to content

We’ve Been Looking At Trade All Wrong

March 19, 2025 · 33 min

Show notes

There was once a broad consensus in Washington that trade was a force for good—a way to connect, grow, and prosper. But today, trade has evolved into something much bigger than just the exchange of goods. It’s become a powerful tool to rewrite the rules of foreign policy, reshape how the United States is viewed by the rest of the world, and steer us toward an increasingly uncertain future. When did this change begin, and where did we go off course?

This season, Why It Matters is taking you through the ins and outs of trade. In this episode, we’re diving into the history books to learn what can the past tell us about the future of U.S. trade policy.

Featured Guest

Edward Alden, senior fellow specializing in U.S. economic competitiveness, trade, and immigration policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/weve-been-looking-trade-all-wrong

All episodes of Why It Matters

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.