Featured analysis

The Irish Border Question

Econographics May 12, 2025

Multilateralism under pressure: Takeaways from the 2025 IMF Spring Meetings

By Bart Piasecki

The 2025 IMF Spring Meetings unfolded against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rising doubts about the future of multilateral cooperation. Here are the key insights.
International Financial Institutions Macroeconomics
The Irish Border Question

Econographics May 8, 2025

Pope Leo XIV’s electors represented Catholics’ changing economic distribution

By Israel Rosales

While the direction Pope Leo XIV will take the Church is unclear at this early stage, he’s unlikely to reverse Pope Francis’s push to elevate voices from the Global South.
Economy & Business International Financial Institutions
The Irish Border Question

Sinographs Mar 12, 2025

China’s economic plans prioritize consumption—but only on paper

By Jeremy Mark

At last week’s meeting of the National People’s Congress, China declared consumption as the number one priority. But will the spending plans actually support consumers and businesses?
China Economy & Business

COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

Econographics deep dives

Special sections that go inside the Chinese economy, the evolution of sanctions, and the future of money.

 

Sinographs

In-depth analysis of economic and financial trends in the Chinese economy.

Fintech frontlines

Research and analysis on the intersection of technology and policy developments in finance.

Global sanctions dashboard

Monthly analysis of global sanctions regimes—highlighting new listings, delistings, and the motivations behind these changes.

Latest analysis

Econographics

May 16, 2025

The next 120 days of predictably volatile trade policy

By Barbara C. Matthews

The understandable relief associated with de-escalating the tariff war will soon fade as we enter a long, uncertain summer of tariff pauses and major negotiations. Take a look at some convenings that might be important.

Economy & Business International Markets

AfricaSource

May 15, 2025

African governments should rethink their approach to combating money laundering and terrorist financing

By Benjamin Mossberg

African countries can bolster financial inclusion and tap economic growth opportunities—while preventing the abuse of the global financial system by nefarious actors.

Africa Digital Currencies

EconoGraphics

May 13, 2025

Basel III endgame: The specter of global regulatory fragmentation

By Hung Tran

Diverging timelines for Basel III implementation are fragmenting global financial regulation. As major economies delay or dilute reforms, coordinated oversight erodes—posing renewed risks to international financial stability.

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

Econographics

May 12, 2025

Multilateralism under pressure: Takeaways from the 2025 IMF Spring Meetings

By Bart Piasecki

The 2025 IMF Spring Meetings unfolded against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rising doubts about the future of multilateral cooperation. Here are the key insights.

International Financial Institutions Macroeconomics

Econographics

May 8, 2025

Pope Leo XIV’s electors represented Catholics’ changing economic distribution

By Israel Rosales

While the direction Pope Leo XIV will take the Church is unclear at this early stage, he’s unlikely to reverse Pope Francis’s push to elevate voices from the Global South.

Economy & Business International Financial Institutions

EconoGraphics

Apr 30, 2025

US-EU sanctions divergence would spell trouble for multinational companies

By Jesse Sucher

The fracturing of traditional alliances carries significant consequences for companies facing multijurisdictional compliance obligations, meaning an already complex situation will become more chaotic.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

Fintech Frontlines

Apr 21, 2025

Fast payments in action: Emerging lessons from Brazil and India

By Polina Kempinsky

These lessons are shaping a framework governments can use to evaluate their need for central bank-led immediate payment systems, their potential structure, organizational features, and the trade-offs involved.

Brazil Digital Currencies

Econographics

Apr 17, 2025

Russia Sanctions Database

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze, Lize de Kruijf

The Atlantic Council’s Russia Sanctions Database tracks the level of coordination among Western allies in sanctioning Russian entities, individuals, vessels, and aircraft, and shows where gaps still remain.

Eastern Europe Economic Sanctions

EconoGraphics

Apr 17, 2025

Russia Sanctions Database: November 2024

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze

The Atlantic Council’s Russia Sanctions Database tracks the restrictive economic measures Western allies have placed on Russia and evaluates whether these measures are successful in achieving the stated objectives.

China East Asia

Econographics

Mar 19, 2025

Investment screening reform may stifle international investment in US

By Alex Mills

The Trump administration wants to reform the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US. But what does this actually mean for US industry, investment, and innovation?

Economy & Business Financial Regulation
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Content

EconoGraphics

Jan 22, 2018

The Irish Border Question

By Ole Moehr

The future of the Irish border is one of the key sticking points in the ongoing Brexit negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK).

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Dec 22, 2017

Parties Supporting Independence Win Slim Majority, But Catalonia’s Complex Stalemate Continues

By Michael Farquharson & Alvaro Morales Salto-Weis

The outcome of yesterday’s regional elections in Catalonia reflects the electorate’s deep polarization on the issue of regional independence.

Economy & Business Southern & Southeastern Europe

EconoGraphics

Dec 12, 2017

Catalonia: Secession Recession?

By Michael Farquharson & Alvaro Morales Salto-Weis

The region of Catalonia will hold critical elections on December 21. The stakes are high: the region unilaterally declared its independence on October 1 and subsequently saw the rule of its regional government suspended by Madrid’s central government pursuant to Article 155 of the Spanish constitution.

Economy & Business Southern & Southeastern Europe

EconoGraphics

Nov 27, 2017

Tariff on the Rising Sun

By Michael Farquharson & Ole Moehr

In April of this year, Suniva, a Chinese-owned, US-based solar manufacturer filed a rarely-used Section 201 petition with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), requesting the imposition of minimum prices for solar module imports into the United States. In May, German-based SolarWorld joined Suniva’s petition, and in September, the ITC ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ultimately recommending up to a 35 percent tariff on imported solar modules.

Economy & Business Renewables & Advanced Energy

EconoGraphics

Nov 7, 2017

Multilateral Sanctions: Brexit Wrecks-it?

By Michael Farquharson & Ole Moehr

On October 3, 2017, the Atlantic Council hosted a conference with experts from the public and private sector to discuss the impact of Brexit on economic sanctions policymaking. The United Kingdom (UK) currently plays a considerable role crafting and implementing sanctions policy in the European Union (EU). Transatlantic cooperation and sanctions alignment are vital to ensure the effectiveness of this essential foreign policy tool.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Oct 20, 2017

The US Infrastruct-cure

By Michael Farquharson & Ole Moehr

Infrastructure investment stimulates economic growth. According to McKinsey & Company, an increase in infrastructure investment equal to 1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) would convert into an additional 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs in the United States. America’s infrastructure is in a state of disrepair.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

EconoGraphics

Sep 25, 2017

Crude Awakening

By Ole Moehr

On August 2, 2017, US President Donald J. Trump signed into law H.R.3364, a new set of economic sanctions aimed primarily on Russia (with additional measures adopted against Iran and North Korea). Essential to the success of any sanctions regime is its alignment.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Jul 25, 2017

The Apprentice

By Samuel Weitzman

On June 15, 2017, US President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 13801, which sought “to promote affordable education and rewarding jobs for American workers” by increasing the number of apprenticeship opportunities. Trump’s stated goals are ambitious. With a proposed ApprenticeshipUSA budget of $200 million (roughly double the previous amount), the president wants to increase the number of US apprenticeships from 505,000 in 2016 to 5 million by 2022.

Economy & Business United States and Canada

EconoGraphics

Jul 6, 2017

The Big Chill(ing effect)

By Samuel Weitzman

In March 2014, the United States and the European Union (EU) issued the first in a series of sanctions against the Russian Federation for its destabilization of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. These restrictions, which initially focused on senior Russian government officials and private individuals, have expanded to include large corporations, financial institutions, and even entire economic sectors. In retaliation, Russia has adopted counter-sanctions of its own.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Jun 20, 2017

Balancing Act

By Samuel Weitzman

On June 12, in US President Donald J. Trump’s first full cabinet meeting, the new US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer briefly encapsulated the young administration’s philosophy on international trade: “Deficits do matter, and ours are coming down.” This is not a particularly partisan view; Trump’s opponent in the 2016 presidential election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, spoke out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during her campaign despite supporting it previously.

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs
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