Axel Merk, President and CEO of Merk Investments, joins Jane King in a conversation about tariffs and trade and how gold and gold mining fit into the current equation. He said President Trump’s efforts to balance trade are acting as a “wrench thrown into the global financial system,” thereby distorting U.S. influence and impacting financial flows. Prices for gold are rising now because the world is becoming less efficient and making everything more expensive, Merk emphasized. “Investors realize that this is going to be a very rough road,” he added, emphasizing that this is not just volatility shock, but a “profound” retooling of the economy. Merk also discussed ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited, a professionally managed, diversified precious minerals closed-end investment company with the NYSE ticker symbol ASA.