Each episode of Why It Matters breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Is having a trade deficit necessarily a bad thing? Many experts argue that the U.S. trade deficit is largely good for our economy. It allows Americans to enjoy a wider variety of cheap goods, attracts foreign investment, and reflects the strength of the U.S. dollar. Others believe it’s a warning sign that we’re relying too much on imports, hurting American jobs, and racking up debt owed to other countries.
This season, Why It Matters is taking you through the ins and outs of trade. In this episode, we unpack the trade deficit. What is it and why has it become a primary focus of the second Trump administration?
Featured Guests:
Brad W. Setser (The Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow specializing in global trade and capital flows, financial vulnerability analysis, and sovereign debt restructuring, CFR)
Heather Hurlburt (Associate Fellow for the U.S. and the Americas Programme, Chatham House)
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/wim/mind-trade-gap