Big Take Asia

Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs – especially on China, where most toys are made. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Oanh Ha talks with Rick Woldenberg, CEO of four‑generation toymaker Learning Resources, about his company’s battle against tariffs in stores and in court – and what it reveals about the true cost of America’s trade war. Read more: Cutting Ties With China Is Harder Than Companies Expected Further listening: An American Toymaker Struggles to Break Up With ChinaIndia Wanted to Become The World’s Toymaker. Then Tariffs HappenedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Philippines is no stranger to typhoons, but this year’s storms exposed something far uglier: a vast corruption scandal. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Andreo Calonzo and Rosalind Mathieson about how billions of dollars earmarked for flood control vanished and what the crisis means for the country’s political and economic stability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US tariff war with China sent American companies scrambling to find alternative manufacturing hubs. India looked promising until the White House upended everything. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha heads to India, where she goes inside two toy factories scrambling to adapt to Washington’s shifting trade policies. How sky-high tariffs are undercutting India’s ambitions to take China’s crown as the world’s factory floor and forcing American manufacturers to make a tough choice. Read more: Cutting Ties With China Is Harder Than Companies Expected Further listening: An American Toymaker Struggles to Break Up With ChinaThe American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive TariffsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong’s worst fire disaster in decades has stirred up public anger over negligence, safety standards and official accountability. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Shawna Kwan and Jenni Marsh about the devastation, the political fallout and how the public outcry is causing unease in Beijing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a rare public comment on Taiwan from Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, relations between the two nations are at a historic low — and Beijing is ramping up its economic retaliation. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg’s James Mayger and Isabel Reynolds about the political calculation behind Takaichi’s move, the historical grievances fueling the dispute and the real economic risks facing Tokyo. Read more: China Asks Airlines to Extend Japan Flight Cuts Until March 2026 - Bloomberg Further listening: How APEC Become a Battleground for US-China InfluenceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.