China, Tariffs, and the AI Gold Rush

In this episode, the team discusses a relatively quiet week for economic data due to government closures, while Federal Reserve minutes reaffirm expectations for one to two rate cuts later this year. The conversation quickly shifts to geopolitical risks, particularly renewed trade tensions following China’s restriction of rare earth metal exports and President Trump’s public response, which rattled markets. The team explores the implications for AI hardware supply chains, broader compute infrastructure demand, and growing concerns over whether AI enthusiasm is entering bubble territory. They also examine major developments in AI platforms—highlighting Google’s Gemini Enterprise launch and recent partnerships involving OpenAI and AMD—while weighing long-term infrastructure needs against near-term market volatility.