Michael Pettis: The Trade Reckoning Has Barely Begun | Global Macro | Ep.102

Michael Pettis joins Alan Dunne for a wide ranging conversation on trade imbalances, globalization and the future of the world economy. Drawing on decades of research into China, Europe and financial history, Pettis argues that persistent trade surpluses are ultimately rooted in domestic income imbalances rather than national competitiveness. The discussion explores why China struggles to rebalance, why Europe may face its biggest challenge yet, and how US reindustrialization could reshape global trade. From Bretton Woods to modern tariffs, this episode offers a provocative framework for understanding the forces driving the next phase of the global economy. #toptraders #investing #trendfollowing Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Michael Pettis warns that the real trade reckoning may still lie ahead 01:07 - Introduction to Michael Pettis and his background in finance and economics 06:34 - Why trade imbalances are ultimately driven by income imbalances 09:59 - Germany’s Hartz reforms and the roots of European imbalances 17:22 - Competitiveness versus productivity and the hidden costs of wage suppression 27:48 - China’s growth model and why rebalancing has proved so difficult 35:54 - Who will absorb China’s trade surplus if the US closes its deficit? 40:24 - Can the United States successfully reindustrialize? 45:31 - Why Europe may eventually turn toward protectionism 52:17 - The US deficit, global capital flows and the burden of dollar dominance 01:01:50 - Why the renminbi is unlikely to replace the dollar 01:10:45 - Historical trade imbalances and how painful adjustments unfold 01:16:21 - What Japan’s experience reveals about China’s future 01:21:02 - Final reflections on debt, globalization and economic adjustment Full episode can be found here: https://toptradsersunplugged.com/gm102 Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OnOvLb... Follow us on social media: TWITTER:   / toptraderslive   (@TopTradersLive) FACEBOOK:   / toptradersunplugged   INSTAGRAM:   / toptradersunplugged   SOUNDCLOUD:   / toptradersunplugged-com   Follow Alan on LinkedIn   / alanjdunne   Follow Michael on X https://x.com/michaelxpettis