'Timely, witty and wise - you could not ask for a better guide to the new economic order'
Tim Harford, bestselling author of How to Make the World Add Up

A witty, essential guide to our new era of economic competition. From Soumaya Keynes, podcaster and columnist at the Financial Times and Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

We used to take trade for granted. Trillions of dollars of goods and services crossed borders each year, made possible by a global, rules-based system. Nobody paid too much attention to supply chains: they just worked.

Now, Trump’s latest tariff announcement can crash markets, ruin your pension, and sour decades-long alliances. Brexit can sever Britain from its closest trading partners. China’s export restrictions on rare earths could bring the West’s car production to a crashing halt. Curbs on trade in cutting-edge chips could determine who wins the AI race. The stakes couldn't be higher.

In this irreverent guide to our economic world, Keynes and Bown explore the history, players, and rules of trade, asking how we prepare for what the future might hold. Could trade wars lead to hot wars? What can the West learn from China?

Timely, funny and informative, How to Win a Trade War argues that the old system is dead. But what will emerge in its place? And ultimately, what is at stake for you, your country, and your company?

'Full of insight. This is critical reading for anyone trying to make sense of today's trade disputes'
Chris Miller, bestselling author of Chip War and winner of The Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award

About the Author

Soumaya Keynes is a columnist at the Financial Times and host of their hit podcast, The Economics Show. Previously, she spent eight years at The Economist. During this time, she also co-founded the Trade Talks podcast and co-hosted The Economist’s Money Talks podcast.

Chad Bown is Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He formerly served as Chief Economist at the Department of State in the Biden-Harris administration and as Senior Economist in the White House on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors. He hosts the popular Trade Talks podcast.