Carl Zha - The Unraveling of Trump's Trade War with Dr. Warwick Powell

In this deep-dive episode of the Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Tsai is joined by Dr. Warwick Powell, an expert on supply chains, digital systems, and political economy. We break down the recent Trump-Xi summit, the second round of the U.S.-China trade war, and the surprising outcomes that signal a major walk-back by the Trump administration. Dr. Powell offers a razor-sharp analysis of why the tariff strategy has failed, the real-world consequences for global supply chains, and the deeper structural problems within the U.S. economy.CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction01:22 - Dr. Warwick Powell's Background: Supply Chains, Digital Systems & Political Economy02:48 - Breaking Down the Trump-Xi Summit & The 12-Month "Ceasefire"06:10 - The Folly of "Trump Economics": Why Tariffs Failed to Reshore Industry09:43 - The Real Trigger: BIS 50% Rule & The Nexperia Seizure13:18 - Incoherent U.S. Policy: Lack of Strategic Coordination in the Trump Administration17:00 - Will the Ceasefire Hold? The High Probability of Future Flare-ups21:15 - A Full Walk-Back: Assessing the Damage and Trump's "Victory" Claim25:45 - The Dutch Government's Blunder: A Cautionary Tale of Geopolitical Loyalty30:30 - The Madness of Supply Chain Disruption: Real Impacts on Jobs and Livelihoods33:50 - Why Was Trump Allowed to Wreak Havoc? The Role of Finance & Tech Capital40:20 - The AI Bubble: Parallels to the Dot-Com Bust and Physical Constraints45:35 - America's Energy Crisis: The Unsolvable Bottleneck for AI and Industry52:10 - Can the U.S. Reindustrialize? The Systemic Barriers of Skills, Education, and Infrastructure01:01:45 - Where to Find Dr. Warwick Powell's WorkThe UK Column is an independent media organisation and receives no corporate or foundation funding. We rely on the generosity of individual readers, viewers and listeners, so if you enjoy our quality reporting, please consider supporting us.🌐 Explore all our written and video content on the UK Column website https://www.ukcolumn.org/ 💪 Support our independent journalism here https://support.ukcolumn.org/ 🛍️ Check out our shop here https://shop.ukcolumn.org/