In President Donald Trump's telling, tariffs are the political equivalent of duct tape: you can use them to fix anything. For example, they're a negotiating tool — he used the threat of tariffs to pressure Canada and Mexico to implement border policies he liked. He also sees tariffs as a revenue source that might help offset his proposed $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and as a shield to protect American manufacturing jobs from overseas competition. With all of these potentially conflicting aims, and with another major round of tariffs expected to be announced on Wednesday, what is the strategy behind them? Rana Foroohar, a Financial Times columnist and the author of Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World, says they're an "experiment" that could lead to a big change in the way the global economy works. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Sales of electric vehicles worldwide have been growing and the largest manufacturer of EVs is China's BYD. Their global revenue was over $100 billion in 2024, beating Tesla. To keep up that growth and to try to stave off the pain of U.S. tariffs, BYD is expanding in emerging markets. One of the markets where their cars are selling big is Brazil, where BYD is investing nearly a billion dollars in a factory. But as our Brazil correspondent tells us there have been some difficulties along the way.

There are now more than 3,000 billionaires in the world, according to Forbes' annual ranking of the wealthiest people. They collectively hold about $16.1 trillion in wealth.

NPR's Steve Inskeep visited the source of your stuff. And heard how China's manufacturers are handling U.S. tariffs.

An age-old Palestinian tradition of making soap in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was recognized by UNESCO. A visit to one factory tells you why.

China launched major military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, simulating attacks and maritime blockades, in what Beijing called a warning after Taiwan's president labeled China a hostile foreign force.