The IMF Press Center is a password-protected site for working journalists.
Podcast
As geopolitical tensions rise, countries like to flex their economic muscle. But as appealing as they might be, sanctions, tariffs, and export bans come at a price. Jeffry Frieden is a professor of international and public affairs and political science at Columbia University. In this podcast, he says when economic and geopolitical relations become tightly connected, bad things can happen.
JEFFRY FRIEDEN
Increased trade integration between economic superpowers shaped our globalized world, but that world we’ve known for the past three decades is becoming increasingly fragmented. What happens to those trade relationships when countries disengage? Michele Ruta is the IMF expert on trade and global imbalances. In this podcast, he says even strategic rivals can benefit from trade cooperation.
MICHELE RUTA
June 2026
Around the world, the line between economic policy and national security is disappearing
JOSH LIPSKY
Load More
© 2026 International Monetary Fund. All rights reserved.