Trump’s Trade Letters and the August 1st Deadline

In this wide-ranging conversation, Capitol Forum Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Beth Baltzan — former Counselor to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai — and Capitol Forum Trade Correspondent Neil Tracey to unpack the latest wave of Trump tariff threats.We cover: Why Trump is targeting an unusual mix of countries How rare earths give China lasting leverage Whether USMCA will actually be exempted The growing influence of Big Tech on trade policy Section 301 vs. Section 232: What tools Trump is using — and why How global trust in the U.S. rule of law is eroding What’s missing from a purely tariff-based industrial strategy Why the global trading order may never be the same