# Why are global imbalances rising, and why does it matter? Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sound-of-economics-1025540/why-are-global-imbalances-rising-and-why-does-it-matter Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sound-of-economics-1025540/why-are-global-imbalances-rising-and-why-does-it-matter.md Podcast: [The Sound of Economics](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sound-of-economics-1025540) Published: 2026-04-13T08:42:26+00:00 Episode link: https://audioboom.com/posts/8887482 Audio file: https://audioboom.com/posts/8887482.mp3?modified=1776242943&sid=4903959&source=rss Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-sound-of-economics-1025540/episodes/why-are-global-imbalances-rising-and-why-does-it-matter Duration seconds: 3122 ## Resource In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks about global imbalances with Bruegel Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, director of the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). To launch the 2026 edition of the CEPR Paris report, they discuss why trade deficits and surpluses are soaring and what risks should worry us most. US external and public debt is at a historic high, raising new questions about the dollar as a safe haven. China seems on track to export even greater quantities at low prices, undermining the viability of industry everywhere else. Is a soft landing still feasible? What are the implications if not? Relevant research: Rey, H., B. Weder di Mauro and J. Zettelmeyer (eds) (2026), Paris Report 4: The New Global Imbalances , CEPR Press, Paris and London. ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-sound-of-economics-1025540/episodes/why-are-global-imbalances-rising-and-why-does-it-matter/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sound-of-economics-1025540/why-are-global-imbalances-rising-and-why-does-it-matter.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.