Episode 67: Cheese Wars, Coal's Comeback, and Strava Jockeys (It’s a thing) Welcome to Episode 67 of Tradesplaining! In this episode, hosts Rob and Ardian dive into some of the most intriguing and unexpected topics in international trade, business, and expat life. Here’s what’s on the agenda: - The Cheese War: Explore the brewing conflict over cheese consumption guidelines. With the U.S. FDA recommending zero servings of cheese, is a dairy showdown between Switzerland and Wisconsin on the...

Tradesplaining Podcast Episode 66: More EU Regulations, Shifting Summer Tourism and Uncovering Why Politicians Lie About Trade with author Dimitry Grozoubinski --- Episode Summary Welcome to Episode 66 of the Tradesplaining podcast! In this episode, hosts Rob and Ardi dive into the complexities of international trade, explore shifting tourism trends, and discuss why luxury watches may not be the investment they once were. This episode features a special guest interview with Dmitry...

Welcome to Episode 65 of Tradesplaining! This week, hosts Rob and Ardian dive into the intricacies of the U.S. borrowing its way to economic growth, the role of AI in trade, and, of course, the ever-relevant topic of China. They also sit down with Peter S. Goodman, Global Economic Correspondent for The New York Times, to discuss his latest book, "How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain." Tune in for listener feedback, a news roundup, and a few laughs along the...

Episode 64 - "The Tariffs Keep on Coming, While Mexico is Stuck in the Middle" Hosts: Ardian Mollabeqiri and Robert Skidmore Guest: Lars Karlsson, Global Head of Trade and Customs Consulting at Maersk --- Episode SummaryWelcome to Episode 64 of Trade Splaining, the podcast that makes sense of international trade, business, and expat life without putting you to sleep—most of the time. In this episode, we dive into Mexico's strategic position in the ongoing US-China trade tensions, the rising...

Episode 63 - Bidenomics, Swiss Voters & Navigating the Path to Net-zero (or not)   Episode Overview:In this thought-provoking episode of Tradesplaining, hosts Rob and Marty delve into the complexities of global trade policies, the implications of Swiss electoral decisions, and the realistic challenges of achieving net-zero emissions. Key topics include an in-depth discussion on "Bidenomics" and its impact on U.S. trade, a landmark legal case in Switzerland on climate action, and various...

Episode 62: Unraveling the Threads of Global Trade and the Quirks of Expat Life Welcome to Episode 62 of TradeSplaining, where your hosts, Rob and Ardi, along with special guest Don Brasher, dive deep into the intricacies of international trade, business, and the expat experience. Get ready to be enlightened and entertained as we explore everything from supply chain challenges to the unique lifestyle of living abroad.   In This Episode: Jim Croce's Mysteries, Rolex and the Atomic Number of...

Episode 61: Unpacking MC13 while Switzerland, India and EFTA Make Trade Great Again Hosts: Rob and Ardian Episode Summary: Welcome to Tradesplaining, where we unravel the complex world of international trade, business, and expat life. In Episode 61, we delve into the aftermath of MC 13, explore the trade dynamics between Switzerland, India, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and discuss the EU's sustainability due diligence. Join us as we dissect these topics with wit, insights,...

Welcome to Episode 60 of Trade Splaining. This episode, we're zooming into the challenges global policymakers face at MC13 in Abu Dhabi, touching on climate change, inflation, and the fragmentation affecting the global economic landscape.   Key Highlights: Global Policymaker's Dilemma: We dive into the pressing issues facing global policymakers, including climate change, inflation, and fragmentation. The discussions at MC13 in Abu Dhabi are crucial for setting the future direction of...

Episode 59: Red Sea Shipping, Sustainable Farming in the EU and More Evergrande with Simon Evenett Welcome to Episode 59 of Tradesplaining - This week, we cool our ambitions on a new global trade route through the Middle East, delve into the EU's farm-to-fork policy causing a stir in Geneva, and explore economic jenga in the Chinese real estate sector.   Key Highlights: Global Trade Insights: Simon Evenett from the University of St. Gallen and the Global Trade Alert joins us to dissect the...

Tradesplaining Episode 58: Fairtrade in an Age of Regulation and The Bow Tax In the 58th episode of the Tradesplaining podcast, hosts Rob and Ardian explore international trade, business, and expat life. They discuss U.S. chip restrictions affecting markets for graphics chip manufacturer NVIDIA, the relevance of Fairtrade in an era of regulation, and the impact of inflation on consumers. Special guest Fabian Waldemeyer of Fairtrade Max Havelaar shares insights on Fairtrade's role in the...

In this year-end episode of Trade Splaining, hosts Rob and Ardian discuss significant events in international trade in 2023 and predict potential trends for 2024. They recap COP 28, identify the new challenges within trading systems such as supply chain crises, and talk about changes in local news and living situations due to inflation. The duo also addresses geopolitical risks, climate change impacts on global shipping canals, and the trade shifts between nations. Further, they touch on AI...

On Episode 56:   👉 Early returns from COP 28, land the adventures of a rare duck in geneva. 👉 Tesla goes at it with Swedish workers and what it could mean for the future of labor rights 👉 Global Minimum Corporate Tax facing doubts   Also joining Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore this episode is Valerie Picard, Head of Trade at the International Chamber of Commerce, to talk about whether business has become less engaged in trade policy debates, how they deal with an expanding trade agenda...

On Episode 55:   👉 Do high interest rates, inflation and geopolitical tensions and other factors driving an increased focus on energy security make the path to a low-carbon future look less straightforward? 👉 Looking at the Biden administrations failure to reach an agreement on the trade pillar of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Agreement (IPEF) and why it's decision to reduce it's ambition on digital trade may have played a major role 👉 More China De-risking as foreign firms are looking...

On Episode 54:   👉 Will workers be left out of the coming Green Transition? 👉 Does nearshoring mean that American manufacturing is back? 👉 How COVID-related supply shocks continue to affect commodity markets - this time fertilizer 👉 Blancpain, Rob and Lars's Trade Splaining spinoff, and more!   Also joining Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore this episode is Bernie Kuiten - Head of External Relations at the WTO - to talk about how the WTO manages to get its message across and engage with...

On Episode 53:   👉 Looking ahead to COP28 👉 The EU leaning in with the CBAM finally taking effect October 1 👉 Winners and Losers from a fragmenting trade enviornment 👉 Electric vehicles encapsulating many of the issues we see around trade, labor and the environment    Joining Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore this episode is Fitore Pula of the International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC to talk about the link between trade and humanitarian assistance.  Huge thanks as always to...

On Episode 52:   👉 Looking at how slumping demand in China may to be dragging down global trade 👉 Why the days of tax free Digital Trade may be slowly coming to an end 👉 Why auto industry sales may be the canary in the coal mine for global growth   Joining Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore this episode is Ann-Kathrin Zotz and Caroline Foerster of White Label Project, to talk about sustainable fashion and sustainable trade, whether upcoming EU regulation affects businesses likes...

#TradeSplaining is back with a new episode!   Listen wherever you get you podcasts :http://ibit.ly/uJzpT   👉 Looking at how Climate Change, AI and War are Changing trade in ways that are increasingly visible 👉 How the Hollywood writers strike marks a new chapter when talking about technology and labor 👉 More animal stories in Switzerland: this time attack of the cows   Joining Ardian Mollabeciri and Rob Skidmore this episode is André Schneider, CEO of Geneva Airport, to talk about why we need...

On this special milestone episode, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Arancha Gonzalez, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po for former Foreign Minister of Spain, for an even more special in person interview to discuss what it will take to make multilateralism work, what a more realistic EU policy toward China would look like... and her favorite food in Geneva (HINT: not kebabs) They also look at how security interests continue to drive...

On this episode, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Chris Miller, Associate Professor of International History at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and author of "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology" to discuss the decades-long battle to control what has emerged as the world's most critical resource—microchip technology—with the United States and...

On this episode, hosts Ardian Mollabeciri and Robert Skidmore are joined by Annette Ssemuwemba, Deputy Executive Director at the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to discuss the rationale behind promoting trade for least developed countries, and veggie kebabs. They also look at warnings about commercial real estate prices (there's a trade angle in there we promise), changing luxury trends and how climate change is affecting supply chains, TS...

On this episode, we're joined by Kent Wilska, Director of the Sustainable Trade Unit at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, to discuss what a Sustainable Trade Unit does, why Finland has one...and why hot water is a key criteria for living in Scandinavia We also look at more warnings about the global economic outlook - this time from the IMF, China, Belt and Road and why Market Access might matter more when it comes to negotiating trade deals. TS producer Michelle Olguin...

On this episode, we're joined by Iana Dreyer, Founder and Editor of Borderlex, to discuss the state of EU and US trade relations, where we go from here and also...why pizza > kebab We also touch base on the fallout from Credit Suisse collapse, the renewed focus on the African continent as the race for raw materials fueling the green transition hits another gear and what Ardi and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common (HINT:Skiing accidents and Bone Broth) TS producer Michelle Olguin Fluckliger is...

On this episode, we're joined once again by Professor Dorothée Baumann-Pauly, Director of the University of Geneva and  NYU Stern Center's for Business and Human Rights to discuss the state of play for business and human rights work post-Covid and what it meant for developing countries. We also touch base on the latest on India's continued emergence on the global economic and geo-political scene, the SVB Bank collapse as well as the Oscars recap, the latest on the tree situation in Geneva and...

On this episode, we're joined once again by Jan Hoffmann, Chief - Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD, to discuss the state of play for the shipping industry post-Covid, what it's meant for developing countries and what trends to look out for as we get deeper into 2023? We also touch base on the latest is the gradual escalation of economic tensions between China and the United States, changing of the guard at the World Bank and more! TS producer Michelle Olguin Fluckliger is also back to give...