Allison J. Smith

CFR Staff

Allison J. Smith

Associate Director, Geoeconomics

Allison J. Smith is associate director for geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where she works with the director of CFR’s Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies on RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership. Before joining CFR, Smith worked as a consultant conducting anti-money laundering investigations and as a paralegal in the areas of commercial litigation and criminal defense. Smith holds a BA in international relations and Russian from Beloit College and an MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Trade

Trade Calendar 2026

Trade and tariffs are a central part of President Donald Trump’s international economic policy. Stay up to date with the Council on Foreign Relation’s 2026 calendar of significant trade-related events.

by Allison J. Smith and Ivana Lefebvre d'Argence January 13, 2026 RealEcon
RealEcon

Missing the Mark: Trump Investments Not Likely to Help Those Most in Need

The Trump administration says its trade and investment policies are aimed to help struggling Americans. However, a preliminary look at recently announced investments shows that the administration may be missing its target.

by Allison J. Smith and Madeline Burns October 8, 2025 RealEcon
RealEcon

Consumers Should Brace Themselves for Higher Food Prices

A food distributor in Arizona warns that tariffs will soon lead to higher prices and shortages at the grocery store.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman August 5, 2025 RealEcon
RealEcon

How Countries Stack Up on Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs

President Donald Trump has announced that on April 2 he will impose tariffs on countries engaged in “non-reciprocal” trade with the United States, but the formula for calculating reciprocal tariff rates remains unclear.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman March 28, 2025 RealEcon
Trade

Trade Calendar 2025

Trade and tariffs are a central part of President Donald Trump’s international economic policy. This calendar recaps the major trade events in 2025.

by Allison J. Smith and Ivana Lefebvre d'Argence January 1, 2026 RealEcon
RealEcon

The End of the Trail: RealEcon Makes Its Final Stop of 2024 in Oregon

Oregon is a resource-rich, trade-dependent state where many benefit from international engagement, but economic challenges persist.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman December 30, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Juxtaposing Realities in New England: RealEcon Visits Massachusetts and New Hampshire

New England tells the story of two different economic realities: one of prosperous, highly educated, international elites; the other of middle-class families struggling to cope with the cost of living.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman November 13, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Trade-offs in the Desert: RealEcon Visits Arizona

From semiconductors and water conservation to mining and the clean energy transition, Arizona is balancing trade-offs that will have important lessons for the country.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman October 30, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Reimagining American Cities: RealEcon Visits Western Pennsylvania and New York

On the latest leg of its listening tour, RealEcon walks through the transformation of industrial cities in the Northeast.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman August 15, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

On to Wisconsin: RealEcon Visits the Badger State

From ginseng farms to food-processing facilities, Wisconsin businesses shine light on how trade policy and foreign investment impact rural America.

by Allison J. Smith and Matthew P. Goodman May 14, 2024 RealEcon
RealEcon

Leadership Starts With Listening

Building a durable consensus for U.S. economic leadership requires listening to what Americans think. The first stop in the RealEcon team's listening tour was Florida.

by Allison J. Smith April 1, 2024 RealEcon
Economics

American Views on Economic Leadership

CFR’s RealEcon team traveled across the country to ask Americans what they think of trade, aid, and other international economic policies.

Report by Matthew P. Goodman and Allison J. Smith March 25, 2025 RealEcon
Matthew P. Goodman

RealEcon

Tucson Economic Leaders Collaborate with Council on Foreign Relations to Shape National Policy

Featuring Matthew P. Goodman and Allison J. Smith via Hoodline October 23, 2024

Iran

The Islamic Republic’s Power Centers

Who calls the shots in Iran on economic policy, security, and domestic calls for reform? A look at the government’s organization chart indicates how complicated the answer is.

by CFR Editors January 9, 2026

Climate Change

Paris to Kyoto: The History of UN Climate Agreements

International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But experts say countries aren’t doing enough to limit dangerous global warming.

by Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong January 9, 2026 Renewing America

Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Freedoms: What China Promised and How It’s Cracking Down

Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong in recent years, dimming hopes that the financial center will ever become a full democracy.

by Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong December 15, 2025

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