Economy & Business

Programs

At the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy, the GeoEconomics Center is a translation hub with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.

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Featured Analysis

Kumar interviewed by CoinDesk on China’s role in sanctions against Russia

Econographics Jun 6, 2025

The search for safe assets

By Hung Tran

The deterioration of the US fiscal outlook has put international investors, especially foreign central banks, in a quandary. There is no good alternative to US Treasuries as safe reserve assets.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Econographics May 29, 2025

After partial relief, what’s next for Syria sanctions?

By Alex Zerden

Syria remains a high-risk jurisdiction due to years of conflict, endemic corruption, state institution collapse, narcotrafficking of captagon, insufficient anti-money laundering efforts, and inadequate financing of terrorism controls.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

Sinographs Jun 2, 2025

Hong Kong highlights China’s policy of decoupling from US financial markets

By Jeremy Mark

The political benefits of an international financial center with Chinese characteristics will outweigh the pain that decoupling inflicts on China’s private sector.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist May 27, 2025

What’s the Trump administration’s dollar strategy? It depends on who you ask.

By Alisha Chhangani

Within the White House, there appear to be competing and fractured views of the dollar’s role. This dissonance could result in harm to the currency’s long-term dominance.

Digital Currencies Economy & Business

Issue Brief Jun 6, 2025

How Japanese economic statecraft has shifted from promotion to protection

By Charles Lichfield

Japan is in a geopolitically challenging neighborhood and is witnessing the basic tenets of its foreign policy—from alignment with the United States to fostering a rules-based environment—come under unprecedented stress.

East Asia Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist Jun 6, 2025

Even as courts step in, Trump still has plenty of tariff options. US trading partners should intensify negotiations.

By Brian Janovitz

Section 301 may entail more work for the White House, but it could provide a relatively straightforward pathway to broad-based tariffs.

Economy & Business Politics & Diplomacy

In-Depth Research

In the News Nov 15, 2024

Avoiding Entanglement: G20 Responses in a Taiwan Crisis report cited by the Wall Street Journal on how China would respond to trade restrictions from the West

Read the full article here

Brazil China

Report Oct 22, 2024

The economic and social costs of the war in Gaza

By Perrihan Al-Riffai

After a year of war, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and neighboring countries need a permanent ceasefire. But with development gains erased, billions of dollars in infrastructure damaged, and skyrocketing unemployment, the Middle East also urgently needs a solid reconstruction plan.

Conflict Israel

Report Oct 9, 2024

End of the line: The cost of faltering reforms

By Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center and Rhodium Group

The China Pathfinder project examines whether China’s economy is converging or diverging with the world’s leading open market economies.

China Digital Policy

Issue Brief Sep 20, 2024

Toward a financial inclusion agenda for the global majority

By Nicole Goldin

Policymakers, investors, and innovators must advance a new financial inclusion agenda designed for the global majority.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

Report Sep 9, 2024

Sharing the post carbon economy means building a resilient EV supply chain

By Sarah Bauerle Danzman

In this report Sarah Bauerle Danzman advances the policy discussion by compiling trade, investment, and EV industrial policy data across the G20, and offers six recommendations to the G20 to build a resilient EV supply chain.

Brazil China

Report Jun 7, 2024

Reconstructing Ukraine at war: The journey to prosperity starts now

By John E. Herbst, Olga Khakova, Charles Lichfield

Rebuilding the Ukrainian economy after Russia’s full-scale invasion will be a monumental task. Reconstruction can’t wait for peace and must be a well-coordinated, inclusive process.

Economy & Business Energy & Environment

Read the latest from the GeoEconomics Center

New Atlanticist

Jul 18, 2025

Four questions (and expert answers) on the new US cryptocurrency legislation

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts pull back the curtain on three new pieces of legislation on digital currencies, covering everything from stablecoins to CBDCs.

Digital Currencies Economy & Business

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

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2025

What Ancient Greece can teach the United States about defending against cyber attacks

By Carole House

Applying lessons from the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC to present-day cyber warfare is surprisingly instructive.

Cybersecurity Iran

As a newly-formed anti-invasion coalition forms in the international community and takes increasingly severe economic actions against Russia, Senior Fellow Ben Judah interviewed Edward Fishman, former Russia and Europe Lead in the State Department’s Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation, for #BritainDebrief.

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Mar 4, 2022

Kumar’s CoinDesk interview featured in Yahoo

Watch the interview here

China Digital Currencies

New Atlanticist

Mar 4, 2022

The Russian Central Bank is running out of options

By Charles Lichfield

The now-embattled institution didn't expect to be sanctioned so quickly—and was forced to prepare its response in a hurry.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 4, 2022

Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on the effectiveness of sanctions imposed on Russia

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 4, 2022

Lipsky quoted in Wall Street Journal on whether CIPS is a viable alternative to SWIFT for sanction evasion or means for sanction evasion

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 4, 2022

Friendlander quoted in Politico on China aiding Russia in light of western sanctions

Read the full article here.

Distinguished Fellow

Global Energy Center

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia

Events

Online Event Mon, July 21, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

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Programs

Featured Analysis

The search for safe assets

After partial relief, what’s next for Syria sanctions?

Hong Kong highlights China’s policy of decoupling from US financial markets

What’s the Trump administration’s dollar strategy? It depends on who you ask.

How Japanese economic statecraft has shifted from promotion to protection

Even as courts step in, Trump still has plenty of tariff options. US trading partners should intensify negotiations.

In-Depth Research

Avoiding Entanglement: G20 Responses in a Taiwan Crisis report cited by the Wall Street Journal on how China would respond to trade restrictions from the West

The economic and social costs of the war in Gaza

End of the line: The cost of faltering reforms

Toward a financial inclusion agenda for the global majority

Sharing the post carbon economy means building a resilient EV supply chain

Reconstructing Ukraine at war: The journey to prosperity starts now

Read the latest from the GeoEconomics Center

Four questions (and expert answers) on the new US cryptocurrency legislation

Charting a strategic path for Syria’s postwar reconstruction

What Ancient Greece can teach the United States about defending against cyber attacks

Content

Kumar interviewed by CoinDesk on China’s role in sanctions against Russia

Friendlander quoted in Financial Times on the West weaponizing finance to stop the continuation of Russia Ukraine war

Schnapper-Casteras cited in CoinDesk Podcast on cryptocurrency and sanctions

Friedlander and our event on what sanctions mean for the Russian and global economy mentioned in Voice of America

#BritainDebrief – Is this economic war with Russia? A Debrief from Edward Fishman

Kumar’s CoinDesk interview featured in Yahoo

The Russian Central Bank is running out of options

Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on the effectiveness of sanctions imposed on Russia

Lipsky quoted in Wall Street Journal on whether CIPS is a viable alternative to SWIFT for sanction evasion or means for sanction evasion

Friendlander quoted in Politico on China aiding Russia in light of western sanctions

Experts

Deng Liu

Pauline Deschryver

Lize de Kruijf

Mahnaz Khan

Clifford Sobel

Jeppe Kofod

Events

Atlantic piracy, current threats, and maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea

Israel’s Noach Hacker on the resilience of the Israeli economy in times of war

Strengthening the resilience of the Caribbean services sector

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