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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

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 8, 2025

April, July, now August: Our expert guide to Trump’s latest tariff moves

By Atlantic Council experts

“Liberation Day” was nearly ninety days ago, and now the deadline for many nations to negotiate a trade deal and avoid US tariffs is extended to next month. Atlantic Council experts explain what’s behind the moving calendar.

Economy & Business Politics & Diplomacy
Stablecoins

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

Econographics

Jul 7, 2025

Building BRICS

By Bart Piasecki

Fifteen years after its founding, BRICS has evolved into a formidable counterweight to Western dominance in global economic governance. Yet despite its growing influence, the bloc’s ability to translate bold rhetoric into concrete results remains uncertain.

Brazil China
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Content

New Atlanticist

Apr 2, 2020

The United States’ stealth diplomat: The Federal Reserve

By Robert Dohner

In stepping forward to calm US financial markets, reactivate swap lines, and create the new foreign repo facility, the Fed has helped backstop the global economy. One may argue whether the United States is still the indispensable nation. What is clear is that, in a crisis, the Federal Reserve is the indispensable central bank.

Financial Regulation International Financial Institutions

New Atlanticist

Apr 2, 2020

Forging the Four Freedoms Initiative for prosperity and peace in the Balkans

By Marko Čadež

To demonstrate their readiness to fulfill the responsibilities associated with full-fledged membership in the world’s largest common market, the countries of the region launched the Western Balkans Four Freedoms Initiative to bring down barriers to intra-regional trade, travel, and labor movement. While not identical to Roosevelt’s plans, this project seeks to ensure the same outcome of peace and prosperity through liberty, opportunity, and growth.

International Markets Macroeconomics

Event Recap

Apr 1, 2020

Event recap | Using data for good in the fight against COVID-19

By the GeoTech Center

On April 1, 2020, Mr. Eric Sapp, CEO of Public Democracy and Dr. David Bray, Director of the Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center, emceed a live video discussion title "Using Data for Good in the Fight Against COVID-19."

Civil Society Coronavirus
gtc searchlight shining into the night sky

In the News

Apr 1, 2020

Getting ahead of the crisis: COVID-19’s impact on societies, economies, tech, data, and geopolitics

By Atlantic Council

On March 31, 2020, Bob Gourley, Co-Founder of OODAloop and David Bray, Atlantic Council GeoTech Center Director participated in a video discussion on COVID-19's impact on societies, economies, tech, data, and geopolitics.

Coronavirus Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2020

Reconciling sanctions and humanitarian need during COVID-19

By Brian O’Toole

As the world economy shuts down to try to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the humanitarian collateral effects of sanctions become more pronounced and potentially deadly. But the argument that the United States should unilaterally roll back sanctions draws a false dichotomy; sanctions do not have to be suspended or rolled back for the United States to better address humanitarian concerns.

Cuba Economic Sanctions

In the News

Apr 1, 2020

Feng and Saha in China Brief: Global supply chains, economic decoupling, and US-China relations, part 1: The view from the United States

By Atlantic Council

On April 1, 2020, Ashley Feng and Sagatom Saha published a piece in The Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2020

The coronavirus economic crisis: Supporting the weak links

By Hung Tran

In the present pandemic crisis, major countries have moved more quickly, offering more substantial monetary and fiscal support packages, including better targeted programs than in 2008-09. The challenge now is to quickly deliver the help to the weak entities which need liquidity the most. After all, any system is only as strong as its weakest link.

Coronavirus International Financial Institutions

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2020

Europe needs a quick economic coronavirus response: The ESM can provide it

By Bart Oosterveld

A rapid and flexible deployment of the €410 billion lending capacity of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is urgently needed to support the policy initiatives launched to combat the coronavirus crisis throughout Europe. The sooner the Eurogroup of finance ministers can return to something akin to this sensible compromise position suggested by its President Mario Centeno last week, the better.

Coronavirus European Union

EconoGraphics

Apr 1, 2020

Coronavirus versus financial crisis: US policy responses compared

By Ole Moehr | Graphics by Nikolai Albishausen

A look at the economic harm done so far and contrasts the measures taken by the Federal Reserve (Fed), Congress, and the G20 in response to coronavirus.

Economy & Business Macroeconomics

UkraineAlert

Mar 31, 2020

Zelenskyy resurrects his reformist credentials as coronavirus crisis looms

By Anders Åslund

March 30 was a big day for Ukraine with major changes in parliament that reversed the anti-reform backlash underway in the country since March 4 and provided President Zelenskyy with fresh political momentum as the coronavirus crisis escalates.

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions
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Experts

Fellow

Beth Baltzan

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoEconomics Center

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

Fellow

Lisa C. Sawyer

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Economy & Business

Fellow

Marek Magierowski

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Jonathan Corrado

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Indo-Pacific Korea

Fellow

Rabah Arezki

Distinguished Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Africa Economy & Business

Fellow

Evi Fuelle

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Digital Policy Economy & Business
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Events

Public Event Thu, July 10, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on the future of US-Africa trade and security

AN #ACFRONTPAGE EVENT with President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau.  

North & West Africa Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense Trade and tariffs
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