How to Win a Trade War: Book launch and discussion with Bown and Keynes

Date
May 20, 2026, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM EDT
PIIE Webcast, Washington, DC

Chad P. Bown (PIIE), Soumaya Keynes (Financial Times), Greg Ip (Wall Street Journal) and Inu Manak (Council on Foreign Relations)

Event Summary

Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Bown discuss their new book How to Win a Trade War, available for pre-order.

Trade wars are here to stay, and refusing to engage in the fight is no longer an option. President Donald Trump's tariff announcements can crash markets and sour decades-long alliances. China's export restrictions on rare earths could bring the West's car production to a crashing halt. Curbs on trade in cutting-edge chips could determine who wins the artificial intelligence (AI) race. From identifying supply chain vulnerabilities to installing stockpiles, subsidies, and trade restrictions, governments and companies are responding with varied levels of skill and enthusiasm. Today's winners will be those who draw the appropriate insights from history, as well as from other players. For America and its allies, that often means learning from China.

A dynamic conversation with Greg Ip, chief economics commentator at the Wall Street Journal, and Inu Manak, senior fellow for international trade at the Council on Foreign Relations, moderated by Chad P. Bown, follows the authors' presentation.

PRESENTERS

Chad P. Bown
Reginald Jones Senior Fellow, PIIE; Host, Trade Talks podcast

Soumaya Keynes
Economics Columnist, Financial Times

DISCUSSANTS

Greg Ip
Chief Economics Commentator, Wall Street Journal

Inu Manak
Senior Fellow for International Trade, Council on Foreign Relations

Video