Latest Interviews
Showing 1–3 of 3 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist9 min
Big Oil’s Iran windfall won't last | The Economist
Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Alice Fulwood, Ethan Wu
At the record-breaking CIRA Week conference convened by historian Daniel Yergin, global energy executives expressed immediate financial jubilation regarding windfall profits from high oil prices while grappling with severe geopolitical risks threatening the Strait of Hormuz. Key figures like ADNOC CEO Sultan Al-Jaber and General Mattis warned that disruptions to this critical choke point endanger not only crude shipments but also essential fertilizer supplies and semiconductor helium, creating potential global food and technology crises. Simultaneously, the assembly noted a strategic disconnect in US policy regarding the conflict and observed that current instability is accelerating a structural shift toward electric vehicles and clean energy in emerging economies to reduce reliance on volatile supply chains.
- The Economist11 min
Why Trump’s Venezuela oil gamble won’t pay off
Trump, Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Ethan Wu, Mike Bird
Analysts warn that restoring Venezuelan oil production to historical levels requires over $100 billion in investment and sustained global prices above $80 per barrel, conditions currently unmet by market forecasts and compounded by decades of legal instability following expropriations in the 1970s and 2000s. While U.S. Gulf Coast refineries could benefit from a short-term influx of heavy crude, industry experts argue that such a strategy is economically obsolete given America's status as a net energy exporter and the global shift toward decarbonization and renewable technologies. Consequently, the initiative faces a critical divergence between the administration's desire for immediate geopolitical wins and the oil sector's need for long-term property rights security and viable return horizons.
- The Economist10 min
Can Vietnam be the new Singapore?
Facing a 46% tariff threat from the Trump administration, Vietnam's leadership under General Secretary To Lam is accelerating a radical bureaucratic overhaul to shift its economy from risk-averse state control toward a private-sector-driven model targeting 70% GDP contribution by 2045. This strategic pivot aims to mitigate eroding labor cost advantages and supply chain gaps by encouraging innovation and demanding greater local integration from foreign investors, though challenges regarding an underdeveloped domestic market persist. Recent inconclusive trade talks highlight the urgent need for these structural reforms as the nation navigates the dual pressures of external geopolitical hostility and internal industrial stagnation.