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

Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

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
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Content

Event Recap

Jun 11, 2019

Sanctions Lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the United States’ Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran

By Global Business & Economics

On June 11, the Atlantic Council’s Global Business & Economics Program’s Economic Sanctions Initiative hosted a roundtable discussion on the prospects of the United States’ maximum pressure campaign on Iran, featuring Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
Lunch with Hook and Sanctions

Program Impact Story

Jun 11, 2019

Sanctions lunch with Brian Hook: Prospects for the Untied States’ maximum pressure campaign on Iran

By Atlantic Council

The Global Business and Economics (GBE) program hosted Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State. The conversation focused on current US sanctions strategy regarding Iran, and he outlined the Trump administration’s rationale behind both the withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal and the maximum pressure campaign. […]

Economic Sanctions Iran

Event Recap

Jun 10, 2019

Transatlantic Ties After the EU Elections: Prospects for Transatlantic Cooperation in Trade and Sanctions

By Global Business & Economics Program

On June 10, the Atlantic Council’s Global Business & Economics Program’s and Future Europe Initiative hosted a roundtable discussion on the current state and the future of transatlantic ties featuring Caroline Vicini, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the United States. The event also served as a farewell to Ms. Vicini, who after several years of distinguished leadership in her current position will be soon leaving Washington, DC.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

Inflection Points

Jun 9, 2019

Trump’s risky trade game

By Frederick Kempe

The effectiveness of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented weaponization of tariffs in addressing non-trade issues is facing its most significant tests yet in Mexico and China.

China Economy & Business

Article

Jun 7, 2019

Infographic: Costs of a five percent Mexico tariff on US consumers

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

On June 10, without a deal, the United States will place a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican products, with the potential to escalate by 5 percent each month until October, reaching a potential maximum of 25 percent. The US tariffs, levied in response to President Trump’s demand that Mexico stop all migration, would have […]

Americas Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2019

Washington’s WTO frustrations a key stumbling block in transatlantic trade ties

By Bart Oosterveld

The Trump administration has decided to significantly escalate tensions on WTO governance issues given these longer standing concerns, as well as given high-profile cases in front of the WTO that directly affect the EU-US trade relationship.

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2019

US-European trade talks stall

By Bart Oosterveld

Deep integration of trade and economies aside, several longstanding economic dynamics affect the transatlantic relationship and hinder its expansion.

Economy & Business European Union

Event Recap

Jun 6, 2019

Shifting Dynamics: Chinese Investment in North America and Europe

By Lauren Molina

On Thursday, June 6, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center partnered with its Global Business and Economics Program and Baker McKenzie to discuss the recent trends in Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in North America and Europe. The event marked the launch of Baker McKenzie’s latest report, Chinese FDI: A New Reality. Driven […]

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 5, 2019

Dark Web 2.0?

By Jared Zimmerman

We will likely see a smaller dark web orbiting around a sophisticated criminal core using newer, but less user-friendly, anonymization protocols, while other criminals will need to operate in plain sight on the clear web to reach less-savvy customers.

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

New Atlanticist

Jun 4, 2019

Immigration and tariffs: In support of the ongoing US-Mexico border diplomacy

By Earl Anthony Wayne

US-Mexico talks this week can help both countries avoid a costly detour from the joint effort to build North American prosperity and partnership over the past thirty years.

Mexico Migration
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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

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