Business & Finance
The China Trade Problem That Tariffs Alone Can't Fix
Key Points
The China Trade Problem That Tariffs Alone Can't Fix China ran a $1.2 trillion trade surplus last year, many of its companies don't need to make a profit, and its exports are growing at two to three times the rate of the global economy. Michael Froman, former US Trade Representative under President Obama and now president of the Council on Foreign Relations, tells us why Xi Jinping sees a consumer-led economy as a political threat, and what happens when China finally runs out of countries...
Sep 26th, 2026
The China Trade Problem That Tariffs Alone Can't Fix
China ran a $1.2 trillion trade surplus last year, many of its companies don't need to make a profit, and its exports are growing at two to three times the rate of the global economy. Michael Froman, former US Trade Representative under President Obama and now president of the Council on Foreign Relations, tells us why Xi Jinping sees a consumer-led economy as a political threat, and what happens when China finally runs out of countries willing to buy.