The Economic Statecraft Initiative

Housed within the GeoEconomics Center, the Economic Statecraft Initiative (ESI) publishes leading-edge research and analysis on sanctions and the use of economic power to achieve foreign policy objectives and protect national security interests. Coercive and positive economic statecraft measures are increasingly used by the United States, European Union, and their allies and partners to address global challenges.

ESI convenes public events and private roundtable discussions to explore challenges and opportunities, providing policymakers and the private sector with unbiased data-driven analysis and actionable recommendations to shape economic statecraft solutions to global challenges.

The Economic Statecraft Initiative resides within the GeoEconomics Center, a translation hub at the nexus of economics, finance, and foreign policy with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.

Research and Analysis

Testimony

On February 20, 2025, Economic Statecraft Initiative Director Kimberly Donovan testified to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission at a hearing titled, “An Axis of Autocracy? China’s Relations with Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Featured Report

The economic statecraft landscape is becoming more complex as transatlantic partners increasingly leverage economic power to counter transnational threats. There is a growing need to understand how these tools are used, by whom, and when, as well as their intended and real impacts worldwide.

New Atlanticist

Sep 22, 2023

Robert Habeck on Germany’s new approach to ‘economic security’ and ‘selective multilateralism’

By Daniel Hojnacki

Habeck spoke at the Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics about rising populism in Europe, Germany’s changing economic model, and what Washington’s competition with Beijing means for US-German relations.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Sep 21, 2023

The West won’t seize Russia’s reserves any time soon. Here’s what it can do with the funds instead.

By Kimberly Donovan, Charles Lichfield

Frozen Russian assets could be invested profitably, with the goal of creating an annuity for Ukraine of at least two billion dollars a year.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2023

A new White House order is taking aim at investment in Chinese tech. How will it actually work?

By Sarah Bauerle Danzman, Emily Weinstein

President Biden has signed an executive order restricting certain outbound investment in an effort to address national security threats that China may pose to the United States.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 22, 2023

The ‘de-risk’ is in the details: A look at Europe’s ambitious new economic security strategy

By Atlantic Council experts

The European Commission has just released its European economic security strategy, which is aimed at reducing threats from China and others to supply chains, critical infrastructure, and digital technology.

China Digital Policy

Econographics

Nov 8, 2022

What US outbound investment screening means for Transatlantic relations

By Elmar Hellendoorn

Whether the EU follows through with new outbound investment controls and what those might look like will also depend on the evolution of American national security policy and transatlantic diplomacy.

China Economy & Business

Lexicon

Economic Statecraft Lexicon

A comprehensive resource designed to clarify and enhance understanding of key terms and concepts in the economic statecraft field. The Lexicon represents a collaborative effort to support more effective communication and informed decision-making on economic statecraft.

Events

Transatlantic Forum

The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is our annual flagship conference convening economic and financial leaders from both sides of the Atlantic, and launches cutting-edge research and analysis on transatlantic alignment on economic statecraft.

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Staff

Fellows