Jeffry Frieden: The Cost of Geoeconomic Coercion

IMF Podcasts

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As geopolitical tensions rise, countries use economic instruments—sanctions, tariffs, and export bans—to project power.
Jeffry Frieden argues that when economic and geopolitical relations become tightly connected, "bad things can happen."
The podcast episode was published June 23, 2026, in Finance & Development.

Sanctions, tariffs, and export bans are appealing tools of statecraft but "come at a price."
Tighter entanglement of economic and geopolitical relationships increases the risk of adverse outcomes for states and global economic stability.
The episode frames geoeconomic coercion as a growing feature of international relations that merits attention from policymakers and scholars.

Policymakers should weigh the short-term attractiveness of coercive economic measures against longer-term costs to trade relationships and economic stability.
Strategic use of economic statecraft requires assessment of reciprocal actions and escalation risks when economic and geopolitical ties are deeply interwoven.
Academic and policy communities should monitor how geoeconomic tools reshape international political economy dynamics.

Speaker: JEFFRY FRIEDEN, professor of international and public affairs and political science at Columbia University and professor of government emeritus at Harvard University.
Production: Bruce Edwards produces the IMF podcast program; Rhoda Metcalfe is an independent journalist and audio producer.
Related IMF podcast dates referenced:
- Trade among Geopolitical Rivals: Michele Ruta — June 11, 2026
- Nationalizations Get Another Look: Nicholas Mulder — June 4, 2026
- Ha-Joon Chang on Infant Industry Protection — September 1, 2026
- Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas on the Story Behind the Number — June 30, 2026