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

The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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
The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

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 1, 2025

The US must enforce sanctions to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program

By Kimberly Donovan

To ensure that Tehran cannot get its hands on the financial resources it would need to rebuild its nuclear program, Iran sanctions enforcement should start with China.

Economic Sanctions Iran

New Atlanticist

Jun 30, 2025

Less investment, less influence: Why the US risks losing ground in the Indo-Pacific

By Lize de Kruijf and Nazima Tursun

The US withdrawal of foreign aid to Indo-Pacific countries creates space for China to expand its influence in the region.

Defense Policy Economy & Business

Econographics

Jun 23, 2025

From trade wars to capital wars: Section 899 could rattle global capital markets

By John Satory

Section 899 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act plans to tax certain foreign investors, testing investor confidence in America’s financial leadership and market stability.

Economy & Business Financial Regulation
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Content

New Atlanticist

Aug 17, 2021

The Taliban now controls the Afghan economy. Here’s what that means.

By Alex Zerden

The reality of a strengthened Taliban running the Afghan government creates substantial and imminent economic policy challenges for the United States and the international community.

Afghanistan Economic Sanctions

In the News

Aug 17, 2021

Friedlander interviewed by South China Morning Post about Hong Kong’s anti-sanctions law

By Julia Friedlander

Read the full article here.

China Economic Sanctions

In the News

Aug 17, 2021

O’Toole quoted in Marketplace about sanctions on the Taliban

By Brian O’Toole

Read the whole article here.

Afghanistan Economic Sanctions

In the News

Aug 17, 2021

O’Toole quoted in Wall Street Journal about blocking dollar transactions with the Taliban

By Brian O’Toole

Read the whole article here.

Afghanistan Economic Sanctions

Report

Aug 17, 2021

Whither the Arabs: The end of the welfare state and the start of a journey into the unknown

By Hani K. Findakly, Kevin A. Findakly

Arab countries, rich and poor, large and small, are rapidly approaching a moment of reckoning. A confluence of anachronistic governance, economic mismanagement, and disruptive technology, which has changed the dynamics of both the supply and demand for hydrocarbon fuels and raw materials, is pushing the region to a tipping point.

Economy & Business Middle East

In the News

Aug 16, 2021

Slavin quoted in Nikkei Asia on Raisi’s relations with China

By Atlantic Council

China Defense Policy

In the News

Aug 16, 2021

Azodi quoted in Deutsche Welle on what to expect from Iran’s new president

By Atlantic Council

Corruption Defense Policy

In the News

Aug 16, 2021

Chhibber on Economic Times: What India needs to do to fulfill its tryst with destiny
Economy & Business Education

In the News

Aug 16, 2021

Nooruddin quoted in Barron’s: Pakistan Spent Decades Expanding Its Economy While Entangled in the Afghan Taliban

By Atlantic Council

Afghanistan Economic Sanctions

Issue Brief

Aug 16, 2021

EU-US Future Forum 2021: A path forward for transatlantic relations

By Benjamin Haddad, Jörn Fleck, Livia Godaert, Michaela Nakayama Shapiro

From May 5 to 7, the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and the EU Delegation to the United States partnered to organize the first EU-US Future Forum (EUFF), a three-day open conference bringing together policy makers, experts, and the private sector to address the key challenges facing the transatlantic relationship in the coming decades.

Economy & Business Energy & Environment
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Experts

Fellow

Deng Liu

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

China East Asia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Pauline Deschryver

Senior Manager, DTEK Group

Millennium Leadership Program

Africa Central Europe

Staff

Lize de Kruijf

Program Assistant, Economic Statecraft Initiative

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Dutch Economic Sanctions

Fellow

Mahnaz Khan

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Geopolitics & Energy Security National Security

Advisory Council member

Clifford Sobel

Former United States Ambassador to Brazil

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Brazil Economy & Business

Fellow

Jeppe Kofod

Distinguished Fellow

Global Energy Center

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia
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Events

Online Event Fri, July 11, 2025 • 10:30 am ET

What comes next for transatlantic trade
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union Trade and tariffs
Flagship Event Tue, September 30, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

2025 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics

The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is an annual conference convening economic and financial leaders from both sides of the Atlantic.
Digital Policy Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union