From the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to rising tension caused by restricted access to critical minerals, global economies are shifting, and new economic policies are altering international trade.
To discuss the ways international economic policy is changing, Kim Ruhl will join the UW Now Live on May 19, 2026, along with computer scientist Patrick McDaniel.
Ruhl is an international macroeconomist and the Curt and Sue Culver Chair of Economics at UW–Madison. He is the codirector of the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, and he recently served as a member and the acting vice chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers for President Donald Trump.
He is currently a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a special sworn employee of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. His research interests include economic policy, and his work uses economic models and data to study how policy affects economic outcomes.
My Chief Area of Expertise Is:
I am an international macroeconomist. Lately, I have studied trade with China, the macroeconomic effects of supply chain disruptions, and multinational firm expansion strategies.
On the UW Now Live, I’ll Talk About:
I’ll start with a focus on the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the world economy. I will discuss how the effects differ across countries. Then I will discuss how U.S. trade policy and Chinese critical mineral policy have changed the nature of international trade.
If There’s One Thing Viewers Will Take Away, It’s:
We are in a period where geopolitics and economic statecraft are more important than they have been since the 1980s.
To Get Smart Fast, See:
For international economic information, see the World Economic Outlook.
