#international-trade
37 episodes
#2580: Bench Beer, Spotlight Effect, and Open Container Laws
Why do open container laws exist, and do they actually reduce antisocial behavior?
#2490: How Ireland Breaks Trade Statistics
Why Ireland’s $87B US trade deficit is a tax fiction — and how to actually read balance of trade data.
#2489: How the Euro-Shekel Rate Shapes Israel's Trade
How the euro-shekel exchange rate impacts Israeli exports, imports, and the broader EU trade relationship.
#2447: Why Netflix Shows Differ by Country
Why your Netflix library differs by country — and how territorial licensing funds the movies you love.
#2402: Geospatial Gold Rush: Who's Hiring Satellite Sleuths?
From crop health to cargo routes, discover which industries are paying top dollar for geospatial analysis skills—and the tools they use daily.
#2393: Tax Realities: How Israel Stacks Up Globally
Is Israel really a high-tax country? We dive into the data to compare Israel’s tax burden with global peers and uncover surprising insights.
#2384: How Credit Ratings Shape National Economies
Explore the hidden machinery behind sovereign credit ratings and their profound impact on global economies and politics.
#2381: The Hidden Currency of Global Crises: IMF's SDRs Explained
Discover how the IMF's Special Drawing Rights act as a hidden lifeline during global economic crises, and why they matter more than ever.
#2380: The Trillion-Dollar Shield: How Forex Reserves Shape Global Economies
What does $15 trillion in global foreign currency reserves mean for fiscal policy and economic stability? We break it down.
#2369: Tariffs Reshape Global Trade: A New Protectionist Era
How tariffs are transforming global trade, from consumer prices to supply chains, and why protectionism is now the default strategy.
#2344: The Gold Standard Myth
Was money ever really "backed" by gold? A deep dive into the unstable history of the gold standard and what actually gives money its value.
#2343: How the Dutch Invented Stock Markets
The Dutch East India Company didn’t just trade spices—it invented the stock market in 1602. Here’s how a risky shipping venture changed capitalism ...
#2341: Why the Dollar Rules Every Currency Trade
Why does trading Thai Baht against South African Rand rely on the dollar? Dive into the mechanics of cross-pairs and global FX markets.
#2335: How the UK’s Sovereign AI Fund Aims to Compete Globally
The UK’s £500M Sovereign AI Fund is a bold move to boost domestic AI startups with compute access, visas, and strategic partnerships. How does it s...
#2333: Currency Crossroads: Navigating AUD/ILS for Property Buyers
How does currency volatility impact property purchases abroad? A deep dive into AUD/ILS liquidity, volatility, and support levels.
#2331: Shekel Surge: Why Israel’s Currency Hit a 30-Year High
The shekel’s dramatic rise against the dollar—hitting a 30-year high—reflects a mix of geopolitical shifts, tech inflows, and global dollar trends.
#2291: How K-Dramas Conquered Global Streaming
Discover how K-dramas went from niche viewing to 15% of global streaming hours—and which audiences are driving their explosive growth.
#2286: Why Israel and Japan Still Love Fax Machines
How do tech giants like Israel and Japan still rely on fax machines and hanko stamps? Dive into the surprising reasons behind this paradox.
#2270: How Your Laptop Charger Conquered the World
The heavy travel transformer is extinct, thanks to a clever engineering revolution inside every power brick. We explain the tech and which devices ...
#2240: Who Does Every Country Owe Money To?
National debt isn't like personal debt. Most countries simultaneously owe money to diffuse creditors while also holding others' debt—creating a cir...
#2107: The Amazon Effect vs. The Global Shipping Machine
Why your international package gets stuck for six days, explained by the hidden mechanics of freight forwarders and customs brokers.
#1936: The Big Five FX Pairs: Personalities and Plumbing
We break down the world's most liquid currency pairs, from the Euro-Dollar heavyweight to the Swiss Franc safe-haven.
#1912: GDP: The Giant Receipt for the Whole Country
We break down what GDP actually measures and why the economy can "grow" while your wallet feels poorer.
#1744: From Bridge Shouting to Bot Wars: A Stock Market History
How a bridge in 1602 Amsterdam created the modern market—and how bots now run the show.
#1493: The Soybean Circuit: Geopolitics and Global Food Prices
Discover how soybean futures dictate global food prices and reflect high-stakes geopolitical shifts in the modern commodities market.
#1426: Why Mexico Spends Billions on Oil Insurance
Discover the hidden financial machinery of "paper barrels" and how futures and options protect the global economy from oil price shocks.
#1416: The Mauritian Miracle: Sovereignty in the Indian Ocean
How did a tiny island nation turn a "doomed" economy into a global financial powerhouse? Discover the secrets of the Mauritian Miracle.
#1381: Contract Ops: The Hidden Mechanics of Trade Missions
Beyond the ribbon-cutting, trade missions are state-sponsored sales funnels for corporate giants. Discover the reality of the "contract op."
#1370: Trade War 2026: The Return of the Tariff Wall
Explore the legal whiplash of 2026 as the US hits its highest tariff rates in decades, reviving a century-old battle over global trade.
#1369: The End of the $4 Miracle: AliExpress in a Post-Tax World
The era of cheap international shipping is over. Discover how AliExpress is pivoting its business model to survive new global trade taxes.
#1334: The Price of Patriotism: Israel’s Protectionism Trap
Why is pasta cheaper to ship from Europe than to buy locally? Explore the hidden regulations and "Blue and White" taxes keeping Israel expensive.
#1146: The New Great Game: Central Asia’s 2026 Pivot
As Russia’s influence wanes and Iran faces chaos, Central Asia is emerging as the world’s most critical trade and energy hub.
#661: Cracking the Global Supply Chain: Why Your Tech Costs More
Why does a $400 switch cost $700 elsewhere? Herman and Corn explore the tools that unmask global pricing and supply chain secrets.
#513: Financing the Future: The Logic of Sustainability Bonds
Can debt markets save the planet? Explore how sustainability-linked bonds align corporate finance with environmental goals.
#487: The Biblical Pantry: Dining in 700 BCE Jerusalem
Step back 2,700 years to discover why there were no tomatoes in ancient Jerusalem and how bread became the center of the universe.
#472: The 500% Markup: Why Israel’s Tech Market is an Island
Why is RAM 5x more expensive in Tel Aviv than New York? Corn and Herman dive into the "Economic Island" effect and the reality of Israeli retail.
#388: The Global Supply Chain vs. The Lunar Calendar
Discover how the world's largest human migration brings global manufacturing to a standstill and how businesses survive the month-long blackout.