#international-trade
103 episodes
#5586: The Ancient World Was More Connected Than You Think
Could an ordinary person travel the Roman world? The evidence says yes — and the reasons we think otherwise are revealing.
#5566: Venice: The City That Was a Supply Chain
Venice wasn't romantic — it was a logistics problem with a paint job. How a lagoon empire survived 1,100 years.
#5451: Who Captures the Savings: Zoning Windfalls vs. Import Margins
A zoning windfall gets audited. A tariff cut doesn't. Why two public decisions that create private value are treated so differently.
#5413: Who Actually Picks Your In-Flight Movie?
Eight in ten passengers use seatback screens — but at Southwest, one person picks everything. Inside the tiny teams behind airline entertainment.
#5373: Why the Same Face Cream Costs 2.5x More in Israel
Same La Roche-Posay cream: $17 on Amazon, 160 shekels in Jerusalem. Here's where the markup actually happens.
#5309: What Imports-to-GDP Actually Tells You
Imports-to-GDP doesn't measure trade balance — it measures openness. Here's what the 50% line really separates.
#5273: Why Bosch Tools Cost More in Israel
A broken Dremel leads to a pricing mystery: why does an exclusive importer charge more than the retailers it supplies?
#5264: Why a $50 Dremel Warranty Costs 3 Hours of Driving
Daniel's Dremel only charges at one jiggle angle. What warranty service actually looks like in Israel, the EU, and the US.
#5242: Two Neighbors, Two Invasion Plans
Canada drew up a plan to invade the U.S. in 1921. The friendly-neighbor story is only 80 years old.
#5197: Flags of Convenience: Ships, Planes, and Olive Oil
A Maltese-registered Arkia plane and Tunisian olive oil at Osher Ad turn out to share one mechanism: the legal costume of nationality.
#5190: How Iranian Rugs Reach Israeli Shelves
Tunisian olive oil with French labels, Iranian rugs in Jerusalem shops — how goods actually move around sanctions and enemy-state bans.
#5048: ESTA and the Quiet Revolution in Border Tech
Why did Israel's Visa Waiver entry spark a deep dive into ESTA's real purpose? It's not the security check you think.
#4841: How Global Roaming Actually Works (and What to Buy)
The plumbing behind international roaming and which eSIM plans actually deliver on their promises.
#4718: ISO Standards: The Hidden Code Running Your World
From country codes to tea brewing — exploring the 25,000 standards that quietly run global commerce.
#4659: When Companies Ruled Empires: The EIC Story
How a spice trading firm ended up governing 250 million people — and what that means for Big Tech today.
#4655: The Market vs. The Economy: What's Missing
The stock market is the most watched institution in finance—but it might represent a minority of actual corporate activity. Here's what "the market...
#4634: When Your Ticket Says United but the Plane Says Lufthansa
Why the airline that sells your ticket isn't the one flying the plane — and what that means when things go wrong.
#4624: Why Can't You Refill Vyvanse in Tokyo?
Why can't one card carry your prescriptions across borders? The data exists — but the systems don't talk.
#4591: The Tea, Bananas, and Shipping Containers of ISO
Why does an international standard specify the exact angle of a banana's curve? We explore the surprisingly sensible logic behind the world's stran...
#4518: Pallet Wars: What Importers Lose in the Gap
How pallet mismatches between Asia, Europe, and North America cost importers time and money.
#4517: How to Turn Around a Shipping Container Without Getting Burned
The clock starts at discharge. Avoid surprise detention bills by understanding the return process.
#4479: What Actually Happens at a Trade Fair?
The hidden economics of why small businesses still travel the world to shake hands with their suppliers.
#4416: W-8BEN Traps for Spouses of US Citizens
What the W-8BEN form actually does, when it becomes invalid, and how marriage to a US citizen creates hidden IRS pitfalls.
#4357: Incoterms 2020: The Full Walkthrough
All 11 Incoterms 2020 explained — who pays, who risks, and when the skeleton of global trade breaks.