David Woo: Trump’s Trade War Playbook – How to Profit From It

In this episode of ReSolve Riffs, renowned economist and strategist David Woo—CEO of David Woo Unbound and a veteran of global finance—dives deep into a multifaceted discussion on current global economic and political trends with Mike Philbrick and Adam Butler. Drawing on decades of experience at institutions like Bank of America and the IMF, Woo unpacks themes ranging from shifting U.S. trade policies and the fallout from the German election to disruptive advances in technology and evolving fiscal strategies.

Topics Discussed

• U.S. Trade Policy and Shifting Global Alliances: Analysis of the transition from Biden’s approach to Trump’s competitive strategy

• German Election and European Economic Adjustments: Examining the impact on manufacturing competitiveness and embedded fiscal constraints

• Tariffs and Trade Warfare: Insight into the deployment of steel, aluminum, auto, and reciprocal tariffs across regions

• Market Rotation and Investor Flows: The dynamic shift from U.S. retail-driven buying to increased global and emerging market exposure

• Fiscal Discipline and Inflation Management: Strategies to curb deficits, rein in spending, and mitigate inflationary pressures

• Emerging Markets and Currency Strategies: Evaluating opportunities in emerging market local currency debt amid global real yield shifts

• Technology Disruption in Cloud and Semiconductor Industries: The implications of innovations like DeepSeek and evolving AI dynamics

• Japanese Economic Outlook and Structural Reforms: Assessing Japan’s monetary policy, automation, and progress in semiconductor manufacturing