Protectionism is back. Tariffs, export controls, and “de-risking” are reshaping supply chains, prices, and growth. In this episode, Brian sits down with Dr. Muhammad Ali Nasir, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Leeds, to unpack what this policy turn really means—for businesses, workers, and investors worldwide.

Guest Dr. Nasir is a macroeconomist whose research spans monetary and financial economics, international trade and finance, and policy transmission. He is the author of Off the Target: The Stagnating Political Economy of Europe and Post-Pandemic Recovery (Palgrave, 2022).

Learn more about Prof. Nasir:

• Leeds Univeristy Business School Profile
• Prof. Nasir on LinkedIn and X
• ResearchGate

What You’ll Learn

• How tariffs and non-tariff barriers transmit into inflation, productivity, and wages

• Who tends to “win” and “lose” from protectionist policies—and on what timeline

• The resilience vs. efficiency trade-off in supply chains (friend-shoring, near-shoring, re-shoring)

• How central banks should interpret tariff-driven price pressures

• What protectionism means for developing economies’ export-led models

• Scenarios for trade volumes, FDI patterns, and long-run growth if current trends persist

Why It Matters From input costs and inventory strategies to market access and capital allocation, trade policy is now a first-order driver of business decisions. Dr. Nasir helps separate signal from noise—and outlines a pragmatic policy mix to mitigate the downsides.

About the Brian J Matos Podcast Conversations with leading thinkers on the forces shaping the global economy, business, and society—built for a globally minded, highly educated audience.

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