Good Evening,
It's Tuesday, April 22nd. |
Global Growth Expected to Sputter
President Trump’s trade war is expected to slow economic growth across the globe this year, in large part because his aggressive use of tariffs is likely to weigh heavily on the United States, the world’s largest economy, according to economic projections released on Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund, as the NYT reports. |
U.S. Slaps Steep Tariffs on Southeast Asian Solar Imports
The U.S. broadened its trade dispute with China by imposing steep tariffs on solar imports from four Southeast Asian countries where mainland manufacturers have set up factories in recent years. Tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar cells from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia would effectively make the products unmarketable to U.S. consumers, as the WSJ reports. |
Sweeping State Dept. Reorganization
Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a plan Tuesday to significantly reorganize the State Department, saying the redesign would reverse “decades of bloat and bureaucracy” and seek to eradicate what he suggested was an ingrained “radical political ideology,” as The Washington Post reports. |
Executive Education
Volatile trade relations are disrupting markets, shaking industry, and challenging alliances. Navigating a shifting global economy requires a strong understanding of the political and legal foundations of trade. Crash Course: Trade Policy with the Trade Guys explores the nuances of U.S. trade policy and examines the challenges and opportunities facing global trade. Register by April 30. |
Audio Briefs
CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries—in their own words.
Listen here: "What Is Happening to U.S. Humanitarian Assistance? Will the United States Continue to Save Lives?" with CSIS's Michelle Strucke. |
In That Number
6
Iran has stockpiled enough uranium to build six nuclear weapons once enriched to weapons-grade purity—meaning it would take Iran less than two weeks to produce enough bomb-grade material for a single weapon.
Source: Politico
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Critical Quote
“We’re entering a new era as the global economic system that has operated for the last 80 years is being reset.”
—Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, IMF |
iDeas Lab
25 percent of China’s lithium-ion battery exports in 2024 were headed for the United States, but exports of electric vehicles, solar panels, and solar cells to the United States are minimal.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optics
(Photo credit: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images.) Nuns attend a Rosary in homage to Pope Francis following his death in Saint Peter's Square, on April 21, 2025, in the Vatican City. |
Recommended Reading
“Analyzing the Impact of the U.S.-China Trade War on China’s Energy Transition" by CSIS's Ilaria Mazzocco. |
This Town Tomorrow
Tomorrow, the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development hosts the ninth annual Global Development Forum to discuss opportunities for U.S. engagement with developing and emerging market countries.
At 9:45 a.m., experts examine the nexus of developing country priorities and U.S. leadership in technology and innovation through commercial diplomacy and private sector engagement.
Later, at 2:00 p.m., former President of the World Bank David Malpass discusses multilateral institutions within this new era of foreign policy priorities.
And, at 2:45 p.m., experts outline the opportunities and challenges that the mining sector in Ukraine faces, and United States' role in developing this sector going forward. |
Video
Today, the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program explored the forces redefining global climate action and the difficult questions facing policymakers in an era of inward-looking politics and great power competition. Watch the full video here. |
Podcasts
The latest episode of The Trade Guys discusses recent public opinion polling on the Trump administration's tariff policies, retaliatory export controls on critical minerals put in place by China, and the current outlook for partners seeking to make a deal with the White House.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
I’m stuck on The Brothers’ Madison Square Garden shows from last week. If you are an adroit observer or rock aficionado, you’ll have noticed the immediate connection between The Brothers and Dead & Company—they share bassist Oteil Burbridge. But the originals, The Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead, have always been linked. It’s not a stretch to say that they are the seminal “Jam Bands.” One of the Dead’s most storied live shows was a shared bill with the Allmans. The show is memorialized on the Dead’s live album “RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, 6/10/73.”
In addition to Burbridge, The Brothers, who I really do hope go on tour someday, also featured Joe Russo on drums. Of course, Russo’s band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, or JRAD, is one of the great Dead cover bands. And of course, The Brothers lead singer and guitarist Warren Haynes was a longtime member of The Allman Brothers and also toured with the Dead.
This clip of “Mountain Jam” from last week will further underscore the Allman-Dead connection. |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
