Foreign Relations & International Law

Lawfare Daily: Sander Tordoir on Europe's Strategic Choices

Peter E. Harrell, Sander Tordoir, Jen Patja
Friday, October 30, 2026, 7:00 AM

Unpacking the recent E.U.-China deal on the latest Security Economics episode.

Sander Tordoir is the Chief Economist of the Center for European Reform (CEPR) and a prominent European voice in the E.U.'s debate over its economic and technological relationship with China. With European trade policy toward China shifting over the past two years from integration towards managed trade, Sander joins Lawfare Contributing Editor and host of the Security Economics podcast Peter Harrell to unpack the recent E.U.-China deal involving quotas on hybrid cars and the apparent pause in what Sander refers to as "supply chain warfare."

Sander also explains the new trade instruments the European Union is developing to make itself more nimble in pushing back against Chinese trade issues and whether Europe might one day use those instruments against the U.S. as well. Harrell also answers some of Sander's questions about shifting views of trade in the U.S.

This episode is part of the Security Economics podcast series, in which Peter Harrell and guests explore the intersection of economics and national security, how countries manage their economies to support national security, and how they deploy economic tools in support of geopolitical objectives.

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Peter E. Harrell is a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown’s Institute for International Economic law and an attorney in private practice. His scholarly research focuses on the intersection of international economics and U.S. national security. Harrell previously served at the White House in 2021-2022.
Sander Tordoir is chief economist at the Centre for European Reform.
Jen Patja is the editor of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security, and serves as Lawfare’s Director of Audience Engagement. Previously, she was Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics and Deputy Director of the Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier, where she worked to deepen public understanding of constitutional democracy and inspire meaningful civic participation.

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