Episode 17 – Rollercoaster Economics 101 with Simon Evenett

Grüezi Amerika. Views from the Sister Republic

Many tried to predict what Donald J. Trump’s first 100 days in office would amount to. The best advice stemmed from Karl Rove, long-time Republican strategist and political legend: “Buckle up, buttercup!” And yes, a wild ride it has been, particularly since “liberation day” which brought tariffs for America’s friends and foes alike, even uninhabited islands. While some have dismissed Trump’s economic agenda as sheer madness, others claim to detect method and believe it all part of a larger plan to plunge the US into recession. But is there any truth to these claims? What to make of the economic rollercoaster we have been dragged onto by Trump?

Generations of HSG students have been introduced to international economics by Professor Simon J Evenett who will kindly give us a survey in Rollercoaster Economics. After nearly two decades at the University of St.Gallen, Simon Evenett has joined IMD as Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy. He also serves as Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment and he founded the St Gallen Endowment for Prosperity Through Trade (SGEPT). SGEPT currently hosts three leading independent commercial policy monitoring initiatives: the Global Trade Alert, a key resource for trade monitoring and assessing trade tensions, the New Industrial Policy Observatory, and the Digital Policy Alert. Launched in 2023, Evenett created the Crux of Capitalism initiative which provides valuable insights into the performance of firms and sectors in 21 major economies. Additionally, he has served as a World Bank official twice, on the UK Competition Commission, was a Member of the Trade and the Economy Panel at the UK Department of International Trade, and has sat on several high-profile commissions relating to the future of world trade.