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Central bank building with gate

Econographics

May 2, 2024

Understanding the plan to create a $50 billion Ukraine bond from Russia’s blocked assets

By Charles Lichfield, Mrugank Bhusari

The United States is pushing the G7 to consider a sovereign loan of $50 billion to Ukraine which would be repaid using the interest income on blocked Russian assets. Where does this $50 billion figure come from?

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion
Russia

Econographics

May 1, 2024

How to improve the technical skill of the US national security workforce

By Lesley Chavkin, Eitan Danon, and Sigal Mandelker

We cannot expect to compete on the world stage without equipping the US civil service with the skills and experience needed to understand and harness the technological trends that will define the future. But if we want our best and brightest—our most ambitious and innovative—women and men to pursue federal service, we have to do a better job of proactively making the case why.

Economy & Business
United States and Canada

Econographics

Apr 30, 2024

The yen’s travails in an era of geopolitical rivalry

By Hung Tran

In an era marked by geopolitical tensions, the yen’s depreciation underscores the broader economic fallout from a persistently strong dollar and rising US interest rates.

Economy & Business
Indo-Pacific
Factory under construction

Econographics

Apr 29, 2024

The IMF warms to industrial policy—but with caveats

By Walter Frick

Industrial policy is making a comeback around the world. There’s no better sign of this than the new attention paid to subsidies by bastions of the Washington consensus like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has historically been very skeptical of them.

Fiscal and Structural Reform
International Financial Institutions

Econographics

Apr 25, 2024

The basics of CBDC

By Alisha Chhangani and Leila Hamilton

The race for the future of money is on, so here are the key items to catch you up on what a central bank digital currency is—and what it isn’t.

Digital Currencies
Economy & Business
Brazil G20 bilboard

Econographics

Apr 12, 2024

Brazil’s approach to the G20: Leading by example

By Hung Tran

Brazil’s non-aligned, cooperative, and practical approach holds out the promise of a constructive outcome for this year’s G20 meetings—especially if progress is measured by concrete global initiatives.

Brazil
G20

Sinographs

Apr 9, 2024

Breaking down Janet Yellen’s comments on Chinese overcapacity

By Hung Tran

It is reasonable to criticize and complain to China, but policymakers should remember that an end to overcapacity would mean a major shift in China’s economic model—which is exceedingly unlikely.

China
Economy & Business
Bulk carrier ship in river port. Dry cargo grain elevator trade. Agrarian maritime facility. Cargo ship in the sea. Sunset view. factory on the water.

Econographics

Apr 5, 2024

Ukraine’s grain exports are crucial to Africa’s food security

By Yulia Bychkovska

Moscow is trying to increase Africa’s dependence on its imports by blocking the exports of Ukrainian grain. By helping Ukraine sell its grain, the West can offer the African continent an alternative to Russia’s grain and decrease Russia’s profits.

Africa
Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

Econographics

Mar 28, 2024

Understanding the debate over IMF quota reform

By Hung Tran

The politics and mathematics of reform are tougher than they appear. A simple reform matching quotas to global economic weight will not be welcomed by many countries.

Africa
China

Econographics

Mar 26, 2024

Housing costs are slowing down the US climate transition

By Joseph Webster

The US housing shortage has profound economic consequences. Less discussed is the fact that it is slowing down the US climate transition.

Energy Transitions
Financial Regulation

Content

Econographics

Jul 31, 2023

China isn’t the only Asian country expanding its trade with Africa

By Phillip Meng

When it comes to Asia-Africa trade, many think of China first. But Beijing is not the only country growing ties. South Korea has accelerated trade, investment, and development initiatives—expanding trading volumes significantly.

Africa
China

Econographics

Jul 27, 2023

The G20 still hasn’t made a breakthrough on sovereign debt restructuring

By Hung Tran

The G20's recent meeting failed to make progress on sovereign debt restructuring, disappointing low and middle-income countries. Zambia's deal favored China's preferences, revealing the challenges in establishing an equitable framework for debt relief.

Africa
China

Econographics

Jul 19, 2023

Global Sanctions Dashboard: Sanctions alone won’t stop the Wagner Group 

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze, and Ryan Murphy

Existing sanctions against the Wagner Group, limitations around enforcing them, and what more Western allies can do to counter Wagner's influence in Africa.

Africa
Europe & Eurasia

Econographics

Jul 12, 2023

Progress on debt restructuring provides a glimmer of hope for developing countries

By Jeremy Mark and Vasuki Shastry

As government and private-sector creditors finally take steps to restructure debt, questions remain over their readiness to meaningfully reduce debt burdens.

Africa
China

Econographics

Jun 27, 2023

Lessons from the Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact

By Hung Tran

Dressing up concrete measures as parts of a “new global financial architecture” risks conflating them with the geopolitical conflict about the future of the current world order.

China
Economy & Business

Econographics

Jun 21, 2023

How ESG investing can better serve sustainable development

By Nisha Narayanan

2022 revealed several roadblocks preventing ESG from contributing to sustainable development. To change course, more clarity and agreement from both private data providers and from regulators is necessary.

Economy & Business
Financial Regulation

Econographics

Jun 19, 2023

China is losing Eastern Europe

By Sona Muzikarova

Eastern Europe was once touted as China’s economic ‘gateway to Europe,’ but China's failure to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine has put strain on the relationship.

China
Eastern Europe

Econographics

Jun 16, 2023

What the EU’s economic security strategy needs to achieve

By Elmar Hellendoorn

The Commission must balance members' economic relations with China and simultaneously coax them toward a more “realpolitik” view of the world. None of that will be easy.

China
Economy & Business

Econographics

Jun 14, 2023

How is China mitigating the effects of sanctions on Russia? 

By Maia Nikoladze, Phillip Meng and Jessie Yin

Despite Xi and Putin’s public proclamation of a ‘no limits’ partnership, China and Russia’s economic ties are limited by Beijing’s strategic interests.

China
Europe & Eurasia

Econographics

Jun 7, 2023

Three challenges in cryptocurrency regulation

By Greg Brownstein

Cryptocurrency regulators around the world face multiple challenges. They must protect customers and put in place safeguards to prevent the next FTX-style collapse, all while coordinating across diverse jurisdictions.

Digital Currencies
Economy & Business