President Trump is upending global trade as we know it. What comes next?
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.1 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 13 August 2025
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
”The global trading system as we have known it is dead.”
Those are the words of former US Trade Representative Michael Froman.
He’s now President of the Council on Foreign Relations.
If the era of global free trade is over, the question is…what comes next?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Global trade has always been controversial. Just look at the early years of the World Trade Organization. |
| 0:06.4 | In 1999, the WTO was set to hold its first big U.S.-based conference in Seattle. |
| 0:12.8 | The city erupted into chaos. |
| 0:19.0 | More than 50,000 protesters descended on Seattle that week, a broad coalition with a clear message, no economic globalization. |
| 0:28.5 | Since then, global trade has expanded dramatically. It has been the status quo. But opposition remains fierce, including from our president. |
| 0:37.6 | Foreign leaders have stolen our jobs. |
| 0:40.4 | Foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories. |
| 0:43.5 | And foreign scavengers have torn apart our once beautiful American dream. |
| 0:48.9 | In his second term, President Trump has taken drastic steps to reshape the global trade order. |
| 0:55.2 | Instituting reciprocal tariffs. Very severe tariffs, if we don't have a deal in 50 days. |
| 1:01.6 | A 25% tariff on all cars that are not made in the United States. If you want to play ball, |
| 1:07.0 | you have to, this is what you have to pay. Consider this. President Trump is upending global trade as we know it. |
| 1:14.4 | So what comes next? From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. |
| 1:29.1 | When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. |
| 1:35.2 | Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply. |
| 1:40.3 | Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working to restore a balanced relationship between people and planet. |
| 1:51.9 | The Schmidt Family Foundation is part of the philanthropic organizations and initiatives created and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. |
| 2:03.3 | On the web at theschmidt.org. |
| 2:12.0 | It's Consider This from NPR. |
| 2:14.6 | The global trading system, as we have known it, is dead. Those are the words of former |
| 2:19.3 | U.S. trade representative Michael Froman. He's now president of the Council on Foreign Relations. |
| 2:24.7 | So if the era of global free trade is over, the question is, what comes next? Frommon tries to |
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