Featured analysis

Multilateral Sanctions: Brexit Wrecks-it?

Econographics Aug 22, 2025

Trump’s challenges to the Fed’s independence loom over Jackson Hole Symposium

By Alisha Chhangani

As Trump tests the limits of what he can do, the credibility of the Fed—and by extension, global financial stability—is increasingly at risk.
Economy & Business International Markets
Multilateral Sanctions: Brexit Wrecks-it?

Econographics Jul 17, 2025

Charting a strategic path for Syria’s postwar reconstruction

By Kimberly Donovan, Jonathan Panikoff, Lize de Kruijf, Manal Fatima

As Syria emerges from over a decade of conflict, easing sanctions by the United States, the European Union (EU), and other European partners is an important step toward reintegrating Syria into the global economy. Yet, for a country that has been economically isolated for over fourteen years, lifting sanctions is only the beginning.
Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
Multilateral Sanctions: Brexit Wrecks-it?

Fintech Frontlines Jul 8, 2025

Stablecoins are trending, but what frictions and risks are getting overlooked?

By Ashley Lannquist

Stablecoin usage is complex for consumers, and large-scale adoption could introduce new challenges for financial stability and regulatory oversight.
Digital Currencies 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

Mar 22, 2021

China’s ‘Two Sessions’ goes off script

By Niels Graham, Josh Lipsky

Since their peak in mid-February, Chinese markets have lost $1.3 trillion dollars in value. The market route was likely caused by Beijing’s announcement of tighter fiscal policy and worries about inflation risks in America. Nevertheless, it is still unclear if the Chinese can tolerate the kind of volatility capitalist countries are accustomed to.

China Financial Regulation

EconoGraphics

Mar 19, 2021

Happy St Pats to Ireland: Boom, bust, and recovery for Europe’s most resilient

By GeoEconomics Center

This week, the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center dressed in green and took a moment to reflect on the Irish economy, one of the most resilient in the European Union.

Digital Policy Eurozone

EconoGraphics

Mar 11, 2021

Global Sanctions Dashboard: February

By Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

Aligning with allies against human rights abusers and authoritarian regimes, lack of coordinated response to the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang.

China Economic Sanctions

EconoGraphics

Mar 10, 2021

How much money is the G20 spending?

By GeoEconomics Center

Our new fiscal firepower heat map, updated through March 2021, shows how G20 COVID-19 crisis spending now compares to the Global Financial Crisis. While nearly every country is deploying its fiscal firepower significantly more than a decade ago, China is still spending less.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Feb 19, 2021

How Janet Yellen can help deliver the digital dollar

By Josh Lipsky, JP Schnapper-Casteras

What precisely will the US Treasury Department do about the rise of digital currencies? Secretary Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell should quickly harness the potential of these evolving financial tools, including a US-backed digital dollar.

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

EconoGraphics

Feb 12, 2021

Time for transatlantic trade to take off

By Ole Moehr

Trade tariffs continue to pose a threat to a transatlantic economy weakened by COVID-19, but there may now be some light at the end of the tunnel. Keen to rebuild transatlantic ties, Washington and Brussels must walk the talk to reach an agreement on aircraft subsidies and move the US-EU trade agenda forward.

European Union Trade and tariffs

EconoGraphics

Feb 12, 2021

Global Sanctions Dashboard: January

By Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

Growing use of sanctions in foreign policy, Chinese sanctions against US senators, multilateral coordination on the sanctions policy.

China Economic Sanctions

EconoGraphics

Feb 3, 2021

ANT Group IPO compromise shows that foreign investment in China will only go so far

By GeoEconomics Center

Last December, Chinese President Xi Jinping blocked ANT Group’s planned IPO and no one was quite sure what would come next. Then news broke this morning that ANT Group and Chinese regulators reached an agreement to restructure the fintech giant into a financial holding company. As a financial holding company, ANT must abide by a […]

China Financial Regulation

EconoGraphics

Jan 21, 2021

Addressing African debt burdens

By Stefan de Villiers

Across the world, COVID-19 has ravaged economies and government revenues. For many sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations, that has tipped the delicate balance of debt. Zambia was the first affected, defaulting on debt obligations in November. Many more must take action to avoid the same fate, including Angola, Gabon, Ghana, and Kenya, among others.

Africa Fiscal and Structural Reform

EconoGraphics

Jan 5, 2021

Tracking the COVID-19 economy

By Nitya Biyani

Key economic indicators for Japan, UK, European Union, and the United States.

Coronavirus Economy & Business
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Content

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

EconoGraphics

Jun 9, 2017

A Vital Foreign Policy Tool

By Ole Moehr

This is the first EconoGraphic as part of our recently launched Economic Sanctions Initiative. The initiative aims to promote dialogue between the public and the private sector to investigate how to improve the design and implementation process of economic sanctions.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Apr 19, 2017

The European Stability Mechanism

By Lu Ding & Ole Moehr

The global economic and financial crisis, which originated in the United States in 2008, ultimately triggered a sovereign debt crisis in Europe in 2010. As a result of sky high debts, economies lacking in competitiveness, and over lenient banking regulations, the credit ratings of the Eurozone members Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain plummeted. These countries began facing prohibitively high interest rates when they attempted to borrow from international credit markets.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Mar 17, 2017

The United States Needs Europe And Vice Versa (Pt. 3)

By Lu Ding & Ole Moehr

This EconoGraphic is the final edition of a three-part series on why the United States and Europe need each other. The series highlights excerpts from the EuroGrowth Task Force’s inaugural report on European economic growth and why it matters for US prosperity.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

EconoGraphics

Mar 7, 2017

The United States Needs Europe And Vice Versa (Pt. 2)

By Lu Ding & Ole Moehr

US economic ties with the European Union (27) generate the largest global bilateral trade flows, worth an estimated $2.4 billion per day. The massive volume of US-EU (27) bilateral trade promotes prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
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