David Lipton

Senior Fellow for Geoeconomics

Profile picture

Expert Bio

David Lipton is senior fellow for geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Prior to joining CFR, Lipton served as counselor to Secretary Janet Yellen at the United States Treasury in 2021-22, focusing on international affairs.

Lipton was first deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund for eight years through March 2020. Before that, he served in the Obama administration as special assistant to the president covering international economic affairs at the National Economic Council and National Security Council. Lipton spent five years in the Treasury department under the Clinton administration where he supervised work with the transition economies rising to under secretary for international affairs during the financial crisis in Asia. Before that, he and Jeffrey Sachs teamed up, advising governments in Eastern Europe during their transition to market economies. Lipton also has experience in the private financial sector, both at Citi and Moore Capital Management.

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

More CFR Experts

See all Experts

Explore More on Economics

Trade

What Are Tariffs?
President Donald Trump has begun his second term with a raft of tariff threats to bolster his immigration priorities, support local industries, and compete with China. Here’s how these taxes work and how they’ve been used historically.  

Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman February 3, 2025 Renewing America

Economics

Global Trade Tracker
The CFR Global Trade Tracker allows you to gauge trends in international trade through time. The map below compiles trade data from 178 countries as reported to the International Monetary Fund (IM…

Tracker by Benn Steil January 27, 2025 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

China

Tracking China’s Control of Overseas Ports
This interactive map tracks China’s growing maritime influence through investments in strategic overseas ports. Users can plot the location of each port and view satellite images alongside detailed information on the share of Chinese ownership, the total amount of Chinese investment, and the port’s suitability for use by the Chinese military.

Tracker by Zongyuan Zoe Liu August 26, 2024 Asia Program

Top Stories on CFR

Ecuador

Ecuador’s Next President Will Face Debt, Drought, and Gangs
April’s runoff election could decide whether Ecuador continues a descent into instability and violence, or charts a new course.

Expert Brief by Will Freeman February 20, 2025

RealEcon

Donald Trump Wants Reciprocity in Trade: Here’s a Closer Look
The president’s plan for reciprocal tariffs sounds good in theory. But there was a reason the United States abandoned the approach a century ago. The gains would be few and the costs enormous.

Article by Edward Alden and Jennifer Hillman February 14, 2025 RealEcon

China Strategy Initiative

India, the United States and the Future of the International Trade Order
India has enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S. as a critical economic counterbalance to China, but the United States still has a tenuous grasp on its interests. In this series, three experts examine India’s position on digital trade, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and industrial policy.

Article by Manjari Chatterjee Miller February 10, 2025 China Strategy Initiative