Global Investor Matein Khalid On World Economy | The Neon Show

These farmers lost around $1.72B in a single morning.
It was all because of tit-for-tat import taxes.

It was part of the broader trade war between the US and China, which officially began in 2018.

But what really happened and who were these farmers?

It all started when Donald Trump walked into the White House in January 2017, promising to take on what he called “unfair trade” with China.

He claimed China’s actions hurt American workers and businesses.

By August 2017, Trump asked trade officials to investigate China’s practices.

This investigation set the stage for what would soon become a full-scale trade war.

Cut to 2018, and things were heating up.

By March, Trump slapped $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, aiming straight at the heart of China’s industrial ambitions—its "Made in China 2025" strategy.

This marked the start of the trade war.

On April 4, 2018, Beijing hit where it hurt—Trump’s voter base.

It announced a 25% tariff on American soybeans, cars, and chemicals.

And it wasn’t just any random pick. China was the biggest buyer of U.S. soybeans, importing 60% of all U.S. exports.

The markets reacted immediately and soybean prices went into free fall, erasing $1.72 billion in market value by morning.

Farmers who relied on China as their primary buyer suddenly found themselves staring at massive losses.

As the trade war continued, both sides kept upping the stakes.

Tariffs piled up, eventually covering $550 billion of Chinese goods and $185 billion of U.S. goods. The impacts rippled far and wide.

Amidst the trade chaos, opportunities emerged for countries like India.

The trade war spurred the China+1 strategy, as companies wanted to diversify their supply chains.

Also, this new Cold War-like tension between the U.S. and China allowed India to strengthen economic and strategic ties with the U.S.

In this episode of The NEON Show, Matein Khalid, a seasoned financial advisor, shares his fascinating four-decade journey. Starting as a teenage trader in Dubai, he later advised corporate boards and family offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the US. Matein talks about global trade, geopolitics, and economic strategies, providing insights on the US-China trade war, Trump's economic policies, and shifting global power dynamics. He also discusses how countries like India are seizing opportunities in these changing times.

Check out Matein's writings here:   / mateinkhalid  

Timestamps

00:00 – Trailer
1:17 – Introduction
02:38 – Matein’s early trading and wealth management.
04:37 – Trump’s unpredictability in geopolitics.
06:04 – Rise of China hawks in US policy.
07:40 – India’s edge in US-China tensions.
09:50 – Starlink vs. Indian telecoms.
10:30 – US Steel and political influence.
12:51 – China’s slowdown and unemployment.
19:02 – US K-shaped recovery and inequality.
21:46 – US debt crisis and risks.
26:41 – Adani controversy’s geopolitical angle.
31:17 – Possible end to Russia-Ukraine war.
33:55 – Israel weakens Iran’s air defense.
37:35 – Trump’s isolationist policies.
41:02 – Trade and capital flows in forex.
42:39 – South Korea’s political turmoil.
48:04 – Syria’s proxy wars reignite.
52:04 – Modi’s UAE visit boosts financial flows.
54:34 – India’s entrepreneurial spirit
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Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.