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

Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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
Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

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

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

Testimony

Jul 16, 2025

Sarah Bauerle Danzman testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services on US policy on investment security

By Sarah Bauerle Danzman

On July 16, Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Economic Statecraft Initiative Dr. Sarah Bauerle Danzman testified before the House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Services at a hearing titled, “US Policy on Invesment Security.”

Economy & Business United States and Canada
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Content

Digital currencies

Jul 16, 2019

Libra: Balancing Risks and Opportunities

By Global Business & Economics Program

Facebook has disclosed its plans to launch the ambitious new digital currency, Libra, in the first half of 2020. Operating on a version of blockchain, Libra hopes to become a widely adopted payment method, supported by Facebook's 2.4 bn users and a coalition of global corporations including Uber, Visa, and Spotify that form the Libra Association.

Digital Currencies Economic Sanctions

Report

Jul 16, 2019

Trade at a crossroads: A vision for the US-India trade relationship

By Mark Linscott, Trevor Cloen, and Nidhi Upadhyaya

Both countries should prioritize efforts to manage current tensions, reach an early agreement and build on successes to initiate a series of cooperative projects in areas such as intellectual property rights, digital trade and regulatory coherence, mirroring previous successes on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

India Trade and tariffs
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani visiting an oil refinery in Bandar Abbas (Photo: baorco.ir)

IranSource

Jul 16, 2019

Iran’s crude oil exports: what minimum is enough to stay afloat?

By Mohsen Tavakol

With the US aiming to bring Iran’s petroleum exports to a complete stop through imposed sanctions, and Iran’s dependence on petroleum revenues, the Iranian government will do its utmost to secure the minimum required oil exports. But, what is that minimum? In order to perhaps find an answer, one needs to understand current Iranian macroeconomics.

Economy & Business Iran

New Atlanticist

Jul 15, 2019

USMCA’s road to passage is bumpy, but its promised stability is sorely needed

By Earl Anthony Wayne

A completed USMCA would provide more important certainty.

Economy & Business Mexico

Event Recap

Jul 15, 2019

Africa business experts discuss china’s commercial expansion in Africa

By Africa Center

On July 15, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a discussion on China’s diversifying economic engagement in Africa, occasioned by the launch of Senior Fellow Aubrey Hruby’s latest issue brief, Deconstructing the Dragon: China’s Commercial Expansion in Africa.

Africa China

Issue Brief

Jul 15, 2019

Deconstructing the Dragon: China’s commercial expansion in Africa

By Aubrey Hruby

The Trump administration has raised the alarm about China’s domination of large infrastructure projects in Africa, diagnosing the growing indebtedness of African nations to China as a threat to US national security, as well as the sovereignty of the countries affected. They also correctly bemoan the unfair advantages conferred on Chinese firms by Beijing’s multi-billion dollar […]

Africa China

Inflection Points

Jul 13, 2019

Fighting the wrong war

By Frederick Kempe

If ever there was a “wrong war at the wrong time,” the transatlantic trade conflict that’s boiling this summer defines it. 

Economy & Business European Union

In the News

Jul 12, 2019

Linscott joins BBC World News to discuss US-India trade tensions

By Atlantic Council

Trade and tariffs United States and Canada

In the News

Jul 12, 2019

Fleck quoted in CNBC on US tariffs for French products

By Atlantic Council

Digital Policy Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist

Jul 11, 2019

The US should not see Europe as a competitor, Latvian prime minister argues

By David A. Wemer

“When you combine the European Union’s market with the US market, you have clear dominance in world affairs,” Kariņš argued.

European Union Northern Europe
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Experts

Fellow

Thomas Storch

Distinguished fellow, N7 Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economy & Business Energy Markets & Governance

Fellow

Leremy Colf

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Digital Policy Internet

Fellow

Reem Goussous

Nonresident senior fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

Americas Arabic

Fellow

Achilles Tsirgis

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business European Union

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Inês Bravo Figueiredo

Co-President, Volt Portugal

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Economy & Business

Staff

Bart Piasecki

Assistant Director

GeoEconomics Center

Fiscal and Structural Reform International Financial Institutions
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Events

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

Atlantic piracy, current threats, and maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea
Africa Civil Society Economy & Business North & West Africa
Online Event Tue, July 22, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

Israel’s Noach Hacker on the resilience of the Israeli economy in times of war
Conflict Economy & Business International Markets Israel
Online Event Thu, July 24, 2025 • 10:30 am ET

Strengthening the resilience of the Caribbean services sector
Caribbean Economy & Business
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