Council on Foreign Relations

Trump’s Tariffs and the Future of the Global Economy

CFR experts provide insights and context around President Donald Trump’s recent enactment of tariffs, global reactions, and what his plans mean for the future of the global economy.

Virtual Event with Matthew P. Goodman, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Shannon K. O'Neil, Rebecca Patterson and Heidi Crebo-Rediker April 10, 2025 Media Briefings

RealEcon

U.S. Exporters Won’t Thrive in a ‘Plus-One’ World

Trump’s tariffs will shift manufacturers from a “China plus one” to a “US plus one” strategy, putting higher-cost US-made goods at a global competitive disadvantage.

Article by Shannon K. O'Neil April 10, 2025 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

Rebecca Patterson

The Investors Who Prop Up America Won’t Soon Forget This

with Rebecca Patterson via New York Times April 10, 2025

Immigration and Migration

Where Trump’s Deportations Are Sending Migrants

The Trump administration’s deportations of undocumented immigrants are accelerating as part of a broader crackdown on unauthorized immigration. The focus so far has been on hundreds of flights, mainly to Latin American countries.

In Brief by Diana Roy April 9, 2025

Cuba

Can the United States Send Undocumented Immigrants to Guantánamo Bay?

The Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants includes a plan to transport potentially thousands to Guantánamo Bay. It is likely to spur international condemnation and a range of legal challenges.

Expert Brief by John B. Bellinger III February 4, 2025 U.S. Foreign Policy Program

Energy Security and Climate Change Program

The Future of U.S. Immigration Policy and Border Security

Panelists discuss the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including increased deportations, the attempt to end birthright citizenship, and the suspension of refugee admissions, as well as the implications for U.S. national security and foreign policy. This meeting is part of CFR’s Transition 2025 series, which examines the major foreign policy issues confronting the Trump administration. The Silberstein Family Annual Lecture on Refugee and Migration Policy was established in 2019 through a generous gift from Alan M. Silberstein and the Silberstein family. The lecture provides CFR with an annual forum to explore emerging challenges in refugee and migration policy in the United States and around the world. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.

Virtual Event with Alfredo Corchado, Andrea R. Flores, Ronald Vitiello and Alfred A. Bridi March 25, 2025

Climate Change

Climate Realism

The U.S. Needs a Fresh Approach to Climate Policy

U.S. policymakers need a new strategy to confront the risks of climate change, compete in the global energy transition, and stay the course regardless of which political party is in power. A doctrine of “climate realism” could earn bipartisan support by decisively pursuing American interests.

Article by Varun Sivaram April 7, 2025 Climate Realism

The Adaptation Imperative

with Alice C. Hill via Foreign Affairs February 14, 2025

Energy and Climate Policy

Global Clean Energy: Silver Linings Against a Dark Canvas

Global consumption of fossil fuels remains stubbornly high despite decades of climate agreements. As demand continues to rise, the need for innovative solutions has become critical.

Article by David M. Hart April 6, 2025 Climate Realism

CFR experts provide timely analysis on the trade-offs and costs associated with U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic policies.

Explore Our Content

Strategic Initiatives

China Strategy Initiative

The China Strategy Initiative provides fresh analysis, granular policy recommendations, and answers the questions that go to the heart of American China strategy.

Rush Doshi

C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative

“

The PRC seeks to “catch up and surpass” the U.S. technologically; to make the world dependent on China’s supply chains economically; and to acquire the capability to defeat U.S. forces militarily.

Countering Threats Posed by the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Security by Rush Doshi

RealEcon

RealEcon assesses the role of the U.S. in the international economy, analyzes what's at stake for the American people, and identifies trade-offs in different policy approaches.

Matthew P. Goodman

Distinguished Fellow, Director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies, and Director of the CFR RealEcon Initiative

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A serious effort to bring greater reciprocity into the trading system could benefit the United States.... But a sudden, ill-thought-out initiative would leave American companies and consumers much worse off.

Donald Trump Wants Reciprocity in Trade: Here’s a Closer Look by Edward Alden and Jennifer Hillman

Climate Realism Initiative

The Climate Realism Initiative charts a novel, pragmatic course for U.S. energy and climate policy that is both realistic in forecasting climate impacts and U.S. leverage as well as realist in assessing that countries will compete and pursue policies to advance their own interests.

Varun Sivaram

Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate and Director, Climate Realism Initiative

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U.S. policymakers need a new strategy to confront the risks of climate change, compete in the global energy transition, and stay the course regardless of which political party is in power.

Our Approach to Climate Policy Has Failed. It’s Time for Climate Realism by Varun Sivaram

Securing Ukraine’s Future

Securing Ukraine’s Future provides timely, informed analysis and practical policy recommendations for U.S. policymakers and the American public.

Paul B. Stares

General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action

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"How the Europeans respond in the coming weeks will not only have great bearing on the fate of Ukraine but also on the future of the transatlantic partnership that has been so vital to their security for close to eight decades."

Europe’s Moment of Truth on Defending Ukraine—and the Continent by Paul B. Stares and Michael E. O'Hanlon

Events
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Trump’s Tariffs and the Future of the Global Economy

CFR experts provide insights and context around President Donald Trump’s recent enactment of tariffs, global reactions, and what his plans mean for the future of the global economy.

Virtual Event with Matthew P. Goodman, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Shannon K. O'Neil, Rebecca Patterson and Heidi Crebo-Rediker April 10, 2025 Media Briefings

Artificial Intelligence in 2025

Panelists discuss the key findings of the 2025 AI Index Report, including open vs. closed-source AI developments, policy investments, and the evolving race for AI dominance. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.

Virtual Event with Sebastian Elbaum, Yolanda Gil, James Landay, Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran and Russell C. Wald April 9, 2025

China

Countering China’s Trade Practices With Investment Tax Policy

Panelists discuss ending the U.S. tax subsidy for Chinese inward portfolio investment as a tool to shrink the trade deficit, as well as the potential economic and policy implications of this approach for U.S. markets and the bilateral relationship with China. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website. This meeting is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies. This meeting is also part of CFR’s China Strategy Initiative.

Virtual Event with Alex Raskolnikov, Benn Steil, Philip West, Rebecca Patterson and Matthew P. Goodman April 8, 2025

Climate Realism Initiative Launch

The United States' historical approach to climate change is failing. American clean technology industries lag dangerously behind their international competitors, threatening U.S. geopolitical and economic influence, and climate change is on track to exceed internationally agreed targets, endangering U.S. national security. CFR’s new Climate Realism Initiative, led by Senior Fellow Varun Sivaram, will chart a fundamentally new course for U.S. climate and energy policy—one that is both realistic in its assessment of the world's climate trajectory fueled by rising emissions outside U.S. borders and realist in its expectation that the United States and other countries will work to advance their own interests in the emerging energy transition.The launch event will bring together leading experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to examine how the United States can prepare for the geopolitical and security consequences of accelerating climate change, build globally competitive and innovative American clean technology industries, and pursue novel approaches—from coordinating strategic trade actions to exploring geoengineering—to prevent the most catastrophic potential climate impacts from endangering U.S. interests.Click here to view the full agenda.If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during question-and-answer portions will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this event will be posted on the CFR website.The Climate Realism Initiative Launch is made possible by the generous support of the ClimateWorks Foundation.Members may bring a guest to this event.

Virtual Event with Neil Chatterjee, Joshua Freed, Sherri Goodman, Alice C. Hill, Maureen Hinman, David Keith, David W. Livingston, Ernest J. Moniz, Rachel Pritzker, David G. Victor, David Wallace-Wells, David M. Hart, Mary Louise Kelly, Varun Sivaram and Varun Sivaram April 7, 2025

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Experts in the News

Rebecca Patterson

Patterson: Markets Likely Influenced Trump's Tariff Reprieve

Via Fox Business Making Money April 9, 2025

Steven A. Cook

Cook: Trump Hits Israel With 17% Tariffs

Via MSNBC Katy Tur April 7, 2025

Inu Manak

Manak: The U.S. Is Eroding Trade Rules It Helped Create

Via BBC News April 7, 2025

View All

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

How Vaccines Changed the World

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo

Vaccination campaigns have nearly eradicated some of the most deadly and transmissible diseases. In a rising tide of vaccine hesitancy, however, outbreaks are cropping up again.

United Nations How Much Does the U.S. Pay to UN Agencies?

Backgrounder Redesign by CFR.org Editors

Women and Women's Rights Where Are Women Wielding Power?

Tracker by Linda Robinson and Noël James

Climate Change The World Faces a Sharp Rise in Extreme Weather. Can AI Help?

Article by Alice C. Hill and Colin McCormick

Liana Fix

Fellow for Europe

Women and Women's Rights Middle East and North Africa Conflict Prevention

As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow?

Offsite Via The Kyiv Independent April 6, 2025

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Trump’s DEI Purge in the Military Puts U.S. National Security at Risk

Post April 11, 2025 Women Around the World

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Protest anger grows in Turkiye

Offsite Via ABC Radio National March 29, 2025

Liana Fix

Fellow for Europe

Women and Women's Rights Middle East and North Africa Conflict Prevention

As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow?

Offsite Via The Kyiv Independent April 6, 2025

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Trump’s DEI Purge in the Military Puts U.S. National Security at Risk

Post April 11, 2025 Women Around the World

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Protest anger grows in Turkiye

Offsite Via ABC Radio National March 29, 2025

Liana Fix

Fellow for Europe

Women and Women's Rights Middle East and North Africa Conflict Prevention

As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow?

Offsite Via The Kyiv Independent April 6, 2025

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Trump’s DEI Purge in the Military Puts U.S. National Security at Risk

Post April 11, 2025 Women Around the World

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Protest anger grows in Turkiye

Offsite Via ABC Radio National March 29, 2025

Liana Fix

Fellow for Europe

Women and Women's Rights Middle East and North Africa Conflict Prevention

As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow?

Offsite Via The Kyiv Independent April 6, 2025

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Trump’s DEI Purge in the Military Puts U.S. National Security at Risk

Post April 11, 2025 Women Around the World

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Protest anger grows in Turkiye

Offsite Via ABC Radio National March 29, 2025

Liana Fix

Fellow for Europe

Women and Women's Rights Middle East and North Africa Conflict Prevention

As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow?

Offsite Via The Kyiv Independent April 6, 2025

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Trump’s DEI Purge in the Military Puts U.S. National Security at Risk

Post April 11, 2025 Women Around the World

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Protest anger grows in Turkiye

Offsite Via ABC Radio National March 29, 2025

Featured Publications

International Law

Eastward, Westward

Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. The founder of the study of Chinese law in the United States and a tireless advocate for human rights, Cohen has been a scholar, teacher, lawyer, and activist for more than sixty years. Moving among the United States, China, and Taiwan, he has encouraged legal reforms, promoted economic cooperation, mentored law students—including a future president of Taiwan—and brokered international crises. In this compelling, conversational memoir, Cohen recounts a dramatic life of striving for a better world from Washington, DC, to Beijing, offering vital first-hand insights from the study and practice of Sino-American relations. In the early 1960s, when Americans were not permitted to enter China, he met with émigrés in Hong Kong and interviewed them on Chinese criminal procedure. After economic reform under Deng Xiaoping, Cohen’s knowledge of Chinese law took on a new importance as foreign companies began to pursue business opportunities. Helping China develop and reconstruct its legal system, he made an influential case for the roles of Western law and lawyers. Cohen helped break political barriers in both China and Taiwan, and he was instrumental in securing the release of political prisoners in several countries. Sharing these experiences and many others, this book tells the full story of an unparalleled career bridging East and West.

Book by Jerome A. Cohen March 4, 2025 Asia Program

When the World Closed Its Doors

A detailed exploration of the most sweeping government border closures in human history during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for the future of global mobility.

Book by Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman January 7, 2025