- April 21, 2026
- ; 16:30
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- April 21, 2026
- ; 18:00
On April 21, from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., the Aspen Institute hosted its second Online Workshop in the 2026 German-American Trade and Tech Dialogue cycle. The workshop was titled “Economic Security and Weaponized Interdependence: Transatlantic Responses in a Fragmenting World”. For decades, economic interdependence underpinned transatlantic prosperity and global economic integration. Today, however, economic networks are increasingly used as instruments of geopolitical leverage. Trade restrictions, export controls, sanctions, and the manipulation of supply dependencies have become central tools through which states pursue strategic and political objectives. Strategic competition with China has intensified concerns about critical dependencies in sectors such as semiconductors, clean technologies, and critical raw materials. At the same time, geopolitical instability – most recently the escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran – has once again exposed the vulnerability of global energy markets and maritime trade routes. These developments underscore how regional conflicts can rapidly translate into global economic disruptions. For the United States and Europe, economic security has therefore moved to the center of policy debates. Yet transatlantic partners do not always approach these challenges in the same way. While both sides seek to reduce strategic vulnerabilities, their policies on industrial strategy, export controls, and relations with China often diverge, reflecting different economic structures, threat perceptions, and political priorities. One of the key-takeaways of the workshop is that the global economy is undergoing a fundamental shift away from efficiency-driven globalization toward resilience and economic security, driven largely by non-market practices and the strategic behavior of state actors such as China. While the participants broadly aligned in their assessment of these challenges, they continue to diverge in their policy approaches, and translating shared objectives into coordinated action remains hampered by governance complexity, implementation costs, and a lack of trust and policy predictability. Critical minerals, defense, and technology were identified as priority areas for deeper transatlantic cooperation, though effective collaboration will require greater speed, consistency, and mutual confidence in policy signaling.
