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RealEcon
RealEcon is made possible by the generous support of the Amy Falls and Hartley Rogers Foundation.
The initiative’s initial focus is on three areas of international economic policy: trade and investment, development, and economic security. Through research projects, convenings, publications, and outreach to policymakers, experts, and the public, RealEcon aims to promote a durable new consensus on American economic leadership.
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A regular series on the choices faced by international economic policymakers.
By Benn Steil
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By Rebecca Patterson and Ishaan Thakker
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On our new trade hub, CFR experts provide timely analysis on the goals, trade-offs, and costs of U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic policies.
Perspectives
By Will Freeman
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Featured Analysis From the CGS
The Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies works to promote a better understanding of how economic and geopolitical forces interact to shape the world.
By Benn Steil, Benn Steil and Yuma Schuster
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Launched in April 2024
As an initiative of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership works to assess the role of the United States in the international economy, analyze what is at stake for the American people, and identify the trade-offs in different policy approaches.
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![<p>People walk past a brokerage house as an electronic board displays stock index information graph, in the Central Business District in Beijing, China, October 13, 2025.</p>]()
By Zongyuan Zoe Liu- By Matthew P. Goodman
- By Benn Steil
- Featuring Matthew P. Goodman
- Featuring Jonathan E. Hillman
![<p>Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Larry Fink, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA), Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Jon Gray, Alphabet & Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corp</p>]()
By Allison J. Smith and Madeline Burns![<p>A person exchanges U.S. dollars for Colombian pesos at a currency exchange house in Bogota, Colombia, on June 10.</p>]()
By Rebecca Patterson![<p>U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 2.</p>]()
By John K. Veroneau![<p>Leaders from the EU, Japan, Italy, France, Canada, the United States, UK, and Germany pose for a family photo during the G7 Summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 16.</p>]()
By Edward Alden, Matthias Matthijs, Sheila A. Smith and Joshua Kurlantzick![<p>Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives onstage with his partner Jodie Haydon after winning the general election at the Labor Party election night event in Sydney on May 3.</p>]()
By Joshua Kurlantzick![<p>Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru walks on the day of a press conference as he announces his resignation, in Tokyo, Japan, on September 7.</p>]()
By Sheila A. Smith![<p>U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as U.S. officials clap after an announcement of a trade deal between the United States and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 27.</p>]()
By Matthias Matthijs![Screenshot 2025-09-09 144224.png]()
By Benn Steil- By Benn Steil
![<p>A striking port worker stands at the entrance to the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 2, 2024. About 45,000 dock workers walked out at 36 U.S. ports amid fears of job loss in an AI-driven future.</p>]()
By Rebecca Patterson and Ishaan Thakker![<p>A U.S. flag is displayed near the U.S. Capitol building, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025.</p>]()
By Marc L. Busch and Daniel Trefler![<p>U.S. President Donald Trump holds the signed “Genius Act”, which will develop regulatory framework for stablecoin cryptocurrencies and expand oversight of the industry, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 18, 2025.</p>]()
By Zongyuan Zoe Liu
