President Donald Trump has announced a new round of tariffs on all imports alongside escalating duties directed at specific countries and products. These measures, which are set to begin Aug. 1, will have significant implications for international trade, U.S. public policy and global diplomatic relations.
Experts from Rice University are available to provide insights on these tariffs.
Trade and international economics
David Gantz, Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
Areas of expertise: U.S. trade policy, tariff structures, World Trade Organization, trade dispute resolution
Gantz can discuss the economic impact of Trump’s baseline 10% import tariff, sector-specific additional duties, legal and compliance aspects of international trade law and the likely responses from trading partners such as Japan, South Korea and smaller economies that may be affected.
Domestic finance and policy impacts
John Diamond, Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Senior Fellow in Public Finance at the Baker Institute
Areas of expertise: Federal taxation and spending, state/local finance, computable general equilibrium modeling
Diamond specializes in analyzing the budgetary implications of new tariffs as well as creating model-based economic forecasts that assess revenue generation versus economic drag. He also examines how these tariffs could impact public finance at both the federal and local levels.
Energy and resource economics
Ken Medlock, James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute
Areas of expertise: Global energy markets, trade in fossil fuels and renewables, resource economics
Medlock can explain how tariffs will impact the U.S. oil and gas industry, energy import/export flows, energy-related trade with affected countries and the ripple effects on global energy supply chains.
Political strategy and campaign implications
Mark Jones, professor of political science and fellow at the Baker Institute
Areas of expertise: Political behavior, public opinion, campaign dynamics
Jones can address the political risks and rewards for Trump in implementing these tariffs, voter sentiment in swing and trade-sensitive districts and the potential consequences of this “risky gambit.”
China-US tariff relations
Steven Lewis, C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow at the Baker Institute
Areas of expertise: Chinese politics, domestic policy, U.S.-China economic relations
Lewis can discuss China’s likely policy and political responses to U.S. tariffs, Beijing’s domestic maneuvering in light of new U.S. trade barriers and the implications for global trade relations and U.S.-China diplomacy.
To schedule an interview with any of the experts, contact media relations specialist Avery Ruxer Franklin at averyrf@rice.edu.