Explainer: What is a Tariff?

President Trump wants more tariffs - what are they? And what happened last time he was in office? This is part of a new mini-series called The Briefing Room Explainers. Even though we're not on BBC Radio 4 at the moment (we'll be back at the end of March) we are going to keep publishing podcast episodes for the next few weeks. These explainers are highly relevant mini episodes, covering some of the themes, ideas and terms which are currently in the news. They’re short versions of previous episodes of the Briefing Room. Guests: Duncan Weldon, economist and author of 200 Years of Muddling Through. Sam Lowe, Partner at consultancy Flint Global Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Studio Manager: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Om Podcasten

Step inside The Briefing Room for indepth explainers on the biggest news stories. A podcast and radio show hosted by Journalist and Author David Aaronovitch.Listen anytime: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b07cblx9. **THE BRIEFING ROOM**Alongside a panel of academics, policy experts and journalists, each week we break down the essentials of the biggest news stories, in the United Kingdom and beyond. From international politics, healthcare, and technology; to the economy, education, and immigration. At the end of 2024 The Briefing Room covered the following topics: - What’s going on in Syria? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025l2l - Will new weight loss drugs bankrupt the NHS? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025vw7 - Is the push for the electric cars in trouble? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002693mOur promise to you each week: If you step inside The Briefing Room, you'll be fully briefed on the biggest stories in the news.**SPECIAL EPISODES**As well as our weekly episodes, The Briefing Room has also recorded several mini-series that you can listen to anytime:- Global Tensions: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kh4p9s - Health: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kh4nwt**HOW TO LISTEN**New episodes are published every Thursday and are usually around 30 minutes long. Listen anytime here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b07cblx9. Catch us every Thursday and Monday on BBC Radio 4. Have a look at the latest BBC Radio 4 schedule for timings: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc_radio_fourfm. Also, you can now listen to us on a smart speaker. Just say, "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Briefing Room" for the latest episode. It works on most smart speakers.**GET IN TOUCH**We'd also love to hear from you. If you have a question or a comment for the team, please email us anytime at briefingroom@bbc.co.uk.