Once hailed as the engine of global prosperity, free trade now finds itself at a crossroads. This episode unpacks how the economic rise of China and India was made possible through global integration—and how today’s wave of deglobalization threatens that very model. In Segment 1, we revisit the 1990s, when both nations stood neck and neck, and explore how trade transformed their destinies. Segment 2 breaks down the key theories of international trade—from comparative advantage to global value chains—and reveals why they matter more than ever. In the final segment, we confront a chilling reality: supply chains are fracturing, nationalism is redrawing economic maps, and a new Iron Curtain is descending on the world economy. What does it mean for the global poor, and who pays the price when borders harden? Tune in for a deep dive into the economics, politics, and human stakes of our unraveling trade order.