EconTalk · Russ Roberts

The Economics of Tariffs and Trade (with Doug Irwin)

May 5, 2025·1 hr 33 min·5 clips
A laid-off auto worker confronts Russ Roberts, asking for his job back, not a welfare check.
Economist Doug Irwin joins host Russ Roberts to discuss the economics of tariffs and trade, covering trade deficits, capital flows, and the impacts of protectionism. They explore historical context, debunk misconceptions, and address the human costs of economic dislocation, with examples from manufacturing and policy uncertainty.

As heard by us

A patient first-principles trade primer with more staying power than most policy commentary.

Dartmouth economist Doug Irwin sits down with Russ Roberts to work through trade deficits and tariffs from scratch. The Rust Belt argument - that open trade hollowed out factory towns while profits concentrated elsewhere - gets a fair hearing, then Irwin adds geography: Mack…

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Why you'd press play

Dartmouth economist Doug Irwin takes the Rust Belt argument seriously -- then calmly redraws its geography for you.

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