In this interview with Federico Fuentes, Marxist economist Michael Roberts explains the recent raft of tariffs announced by United States President Donald Trump and how they fit into Trump’s broader project to reassert US global hegemony.

This interview is notable for asking some questions from a different perspective to most opinions I’ve seen. The questions include: (paraphrased)

  • What are the aims of the tarrifs, and will they achieve it? (spoiler: lol no)
  • Do the US mega-rich support Trump’s tariffs?
  • How do they fit into Trump’s broader foreign policy?
  • Do these tarrifs spell the end of globalisation?
  • Will these lead to further decoupling from the Global South, allowing them to pursue more autonomous development strategies?
  • What position should working-class forces take towards these tariffs and talk of retaliatory tariffs from other countries, whether in the Global North or South?