Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Is there a case for tariffs today? Speeches Battle of Ideas Festival
#protectionism
#tariffs
#globaltrade
#ustradepolicy
Using tariffs, Trump has negotiated deals with a wide array of countries, with many on significantly favourable terms for the US. However, it is far from clear that the policy has solved America’s trade deficit and may indeed have made it worse. Many worry that the result may be higher prices for Americans.
Now protectionism is advocated as a legitimate means to advance a nation’s interests. So, were the downsides of protectionism always overstated? Can tariffs help an advanced country re-industrialise and become more self-sufficient? Doesn’t the reawakened legitimacy of national interest justify protectionism as bettering the lives of a country’s population?
The speakers on the panel are:
William Clouston - party leader, Social Democratic Party
William C. Hicks - co-chair, Life Sciences Practice Group, Mintz
Catherine McBride – economist and trade specialist
Phil Mullan - writer, lecturer and business manager; author, Beyond Confrontation: globalists, nationalists and their discontents
The chair is - Rob Lyons - science and technology director, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Economy Forum; author, Panic on a Plate
Volunteers working with the charity WORLDwrite filmed 50 debates at the Battle of Ideas Festival. The charity now needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/charity/worldwrite Or hit the Donate button below the video. Thank you for your help and for watching.
Is there a case for tariffs today? Speeches Battle of Ideas Festival
#protectionism
#tariffs
#globaltrade
#ustradepolicy
Using tariffs, Trump has negotiated deals with a wide array of countries, with many on significantly favourable terms for the US. However, it is far from clear that the policy has solved America’s trade deficit and may indeed have made it worse. Many worry that the result may be higher prices for Americans.
Now protectionism is advocated as a legitimate means to advance a nation’s interests. So, were the downsides of protectionism always overstated? Can tariffs help an advanced country re-industrialise and become more self-sufficient? Doesn’t the reawakened legitimacy of national interest justify protectionism as bettering the lives of a country’s population?
The speakers on the panel are:
William Clouston - party leader, Social Democratic Party
William C. Hicks - co-chair, Life Sciences Practice Group, Mintz
Catherine McBride – economist and trade specialist
Phil Mullan - writer, lecturer and business manager; author, Beyond Confrontation: globalists, nationalists and their discontents
The chair is - Rob Lyons - science and technology director, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Economy Forum; author, Panic on a Plate
Volunteers working with the charity WORLDwrite filmed 50 debates at the Battle of Ideas Festival. The charity now needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/charity/worldwrite Or hit the Donate button below the video. Thank you for your help and for watching.
