Agathe Demarais is the Global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). She is also the author of Backfire, a book discussing the global ripple effects of US sanctions and the steps that targeted countries are taking to insulate themselves from US penalties. Prior to joining the EIU, Agathe worked as an economic advisor for the diplomatic corps of the French Treasury, with postings in Russia and the Middle East. Agathe also worked in investment banking in Russia and the US. She has master’s degrees from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. She speaks fluent French, English, Russian, Arabic and Spanish.
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Episode 293
Agathe Demarais
How Sanctions and Export Controls Weaponize Global Trade & Finance | Agathe Demarais
Agathe Demarais is the Global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). She is also the author of Backfire, a book discussing the global ripple effects of US sanctions and the steps that targeted countries are taking to insulate themselves from US penalties. Prior to joining the EIU, Agathe worked as an economic advisor for the diplomatic corps of the French Treasury, with postings in Russia and the Middle East. Agathe also worked in investment banking in Russia and the US. She has master’s degrees from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. She speaks fluent French, English, Russian, Arabic and Spanish.
In Episode 293 of Hidden Forces, Agathe Demarais, the Global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and author of Backfire, joins us for a discussion about the ripple effects of US sanctions and export controls, how they are reshaping the global economy by weaponizing trade and finance, and the steps that countries are taking to insulate themselves from the US global financial and trading system.
This episode is part of a series of conversations that we’ve curated on the role and future of the US dollar, the reorganization of international trade along geopolitical lines, and the evolving impact of great power competition on global trade and finance.
In the first hour of their conversation, Agathe and Demetri discuss the origins and evolution of US sanctions policy and how it has been applied successfully and unsuccessfully in countries like Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Russia. The discussion on Russian sanctions continues into the second hour where Agathe and Demetri also explore the subject of export controls and the US Commerce department’s recent announcement that it would be restricting the ability of China’s economy to obtain or otherwise manufacture specific high-end semiconductor chips used in many military and commercial technologies and applications. They also discuss what China, Russia, and other members of an emergent “anti-American” coalition of nation-states are doing to try and insulate their economies and financial systems from the US dollar and Western sanctions.
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Agathe Demarais is the Global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). She is also the author of Backfire, a book discussing the global ripple effects of US sanctions and the steps that targeted countries are taking to insulate themselves from US penalties. Prior to joining the EIU, Agathe worked as an economic advisor for the diplomatic corps of the French Treasury, with postings in Russia and the Middle East. Agathe also worked in investment banking in Russia and the US. She has master’s degrees from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. She speaks fluent French, English, Russian, Arabic and Spanish.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur and financial analyst whose mission is to help uncover the hidden forces and pivotal patterns shaping our lives. His contrarian perspective and critical-thinking approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people make smarter, informed decisions. This same methodology has helped guide Demetri’s decision-making as an early-stage investor and as a creator of several innovative media properties and live events.