US-China Trade War, Tariff Whiplash, Iran Talks

VIDEO SERIES World Review with Ivo Daalder
Prashant Rao, Liz Sly, and Giles Whittell join Ivo Daalder to discuss the week's top news stories.
Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures during the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 5, 2025. Play Video
Ng Han Guan / AP

About This Episode

A dramatic escalation in the US-China trade war sent markets reeling this week and raised fears of a prolonged economic standoff between the world’s two largest economies. Both sides seem to be playing a game of chicken, unveiling new rounds of retaliatory tariffs almost daily. And American businesses and consumers, as well as American allies and trading partners, are struggling with tariff whiplash, wondering how to adjust to policy swings with little warning or consistency. Meanwhile, diplomats are scrambling to prepare for renewed talks over Iran’s nuclear program set to begin this weekend. Some are hopeful for a breakthrough while others are skeptical that real progress can be made amid rising regional tensions and growing domestic political pressures. Prashant Rao, Liz Sly, and Giles Whittell join Ivo Daalder on World Review to discuss the impact of this week's unpredictable economic policies and rising geopolitical tensions. 

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About the Panelists
Prashant Rao
Senior Editor, Semafor
Prashant Rao
Prashant Rao is a senior editor at Semafor. Prior to that, he was a former senior editor at The Atlantic, where he oversaw the Global section, and was the deputy Europe business editor for The New York Times.
Prashant Rao
Liz Sly
Journalist at Large, formerly with the Washington Post
Headshot of Liz Sly.
Liz Sly was most recently a correspondent at large covering global affairs for the Washington Post. She has spent nearly three decades as a foreign correspondent, based in the Middle East, Africa, China, South Asia and Europe, for the Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
Headshot of Liz Sly.
Giles Whittell
World Affairs Editor, Tortoise Media
Giles Whittell is an English author and journalist who has worked for the London Times as a correspondent in LA, Moscow, and Washington. He was the Times' chief leader-writer for three years before joining Tortoise Media in 2018.
Ivo H. Daalder
CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Headshot of Ivo H. Daalder
Ivo H. Daalder served as the US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Council as president in 2013 and took on the new role of CEO in 2023. Previously, he was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and served as director for European affairs on President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council. He is the author or editor of 10 books.
Headshot of Ivo H. Daalder
Issues Defense and Security Global Economy Global Politics
Regions China Global North America
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