The Briefing Room - Explainer: A history of US tariffs

Download Explainer: A history of US tariffs

Tariffs have dominated the first few months of President Trump’s second term. But where did he get the idea from? Ben Carter spoke to Douglas Irwin, professor of economics at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in the US.

This is part of a new mini-series called the The Briefing Room Explainers. They’re short versions of previous episodes of the Briefing Room.

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producer: Ben Carter
Editor: Richard Vadon

Published on Thursday, 5th June 2025.

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