Emily Benson
Emily Benson is director of Project on Trade and Technology, and senior fellow of Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she focuses on trade, investment, and technology issues primarily in the transatlantic context. Prior to joining CSIS, she managed transatlantic legislative relations at a European foundation, focusing on trade relations and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. She also worked to combat money laundering via the illicit flow of art from conflict zones and spent several years at an international law firm focused on sanctions and export controls. During graduate school, Emily spent a summer in the trade section at the EU Delegation to the United States, working on digital regulation and trade remedies. Her commentary and research have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, and Politico, and she is regularly quoted in domestic and international news outlets. She received her joint BA in international affairs and political science from the University of Colorado and her MA in political science from the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Fluent in French, Emily has lived abroad in France, Indonesia, and Switzerland.
Areas of Expertise
Media Queries
- H. Andrew Schwartz
- Chief Communications Officer
- 202.775.3242
- aschwartz@csis.org
- Paige Montfort
- Media Relations Manager, External Relations
- 202.775.3173
- pmontfort@csis.org
Emily Benson's Reports
Optimizing Export Controls for Critical and Emerging Technologies
When it comes to export controls on critical and emerging technologies, the United States must focus on regulating items essential to national security while permitting the growth of industries that do not aid foreign military capabilities.
Report by William Alan Reinsch , Emily Benson , Thibault Denamiel , and Margot Putnam — May 31, 2023
Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity
Report by Emily Benson , Japhet Quitzon , and William Alan Reinsch — May 30, 2023
Green Industrial Strategies: Takeaways for Transatlantic Trade
Brief by William Alan Reinsch , Emily Benson , and Thibault Denamiel — March 15, 2023
Clues to the U.S.-Dutch-Japanese Semiconductor Export Controls Deal Are Hiding in Plain Sight
Report by Gregory C. Allen and Emily Benson — March 1, 2023
Emily Benson's Analysis
Evaluating Europe's Economic Security Strategy
A new CSIS commentary evaluates a growing convergence in transatlantic approaches within an evolving geopolitical environment that increasingly centers policy around economic security issues.
Commentary by Federico Steinberg and Emily Benson — July 13, 2023
Key Takeaways from the TTC Ministerial in Sweden
Critical Questions by Catharine Mouradian and Emily Benson — June 8, 2023
Assessing IPEF’s New Supply Chains Agreement
Critical Questions by Aidan Arasasingham , Emily Benson , Matthew P. Goodman , and William Alan Reinsch — May 31, 2023
The United States Prepares to Screen Outbound Investment
Commentary by Emily Benson and Margot Putnam — April 27, 2023
In the News
Looming U.S. Investment Restrictions on China Threaten Diplomatic Outreach
Emily Benson in New York Times — July 13, 2023
Can China develop its own chip industry?
Emily Benson in Al Jazeera — July 2, 2023
Biden’s gamble: Delaying sanctions and playing down Chinese espionage will improve relations with Beijing
Emily Benson in NBC — June 16, 2023
Chipping Away at Global Semiconductor Supply Chains
Emily Benson in East Asia Forum — June 15, 2023
What the EU’s new border tax could mean for carbon markets
Emily Benson in GreenBiz — June 14, 2023
The U.S. and China Are Caught in a Technology Trap
Emily Benson in Foreign Policy — June 2, 2023
No Timeline Set for Writing US Rules on Certain Investment to China
Emily Benson in Voice of America — June 1, 2023
Specter of China looms over EU-US summit
Emily Benson in Politico — May 26, 2023
All Emily Benson Content
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Evaluating Europe's Economic Security Strategy
Commentary by Federico Steinberg and Emily Benson — July 13, 2023
Promoting Semiconductor “Friendshoring”: The Role of Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners in Supply Chain Resilience
Event by Gregory C. Allen , Emily Benson , Victor Cha , Christopher B. Johnstone , and Mark Lippert — June 27, 2023
Key Takeaways from the TTC Ministerial in Sweden
Critical Questions by Catharine Mouradian and Emily Benson — June 8, 2023
CSDS-CSIS Transatlantic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific
Event by Christopher B. Johnstone , Luis Simón , and Gunnar Wiegand , Kurt Campbell , Michael Reiterer , Matthew P. Goodman , Shihoko Goto , Ramon Pacheco Pardo , Emily Benson , Eva Pejsova , Céline Pajon , Yuki Tatsumi , Jeffrey Hornung — June 7, 2023
Assessing IPEF’s New Supply Chains Agreement
Critical Questions by Aidan Arasasingham , Emily Benson , Matthew P. Goodman , and William Alan Reinsch — May 31, 2023
Optimizing Export Controls for Critical and Emerging Technologies
Report by William Alan Reinsch , Emily Benson , Thibault Denamiel , and Margot Putnam — May 31, 2023
Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity
Report by Emily Benson , Japhet Quitzon , and William Alan Reinsch — May 30, 2023
Allies and Geopolitical Competition in the Indo-Pacific Region
Event by and John J. Hamre , Michael J. Green , Peter Dean , Miah Hammond-Errey , Victor Cha , Charles Edel , John Kunkel , Hayley Channer , Gerard DiPippo , Emily Benson , Matthew P. Goodman — May 4, 2023
The United States Prepares to Screen Outbound Investment
Commentary by Emily Benson and Margot Putnam — April 27, 2023
Export Controls and Intangible Goods
Critical Questions by Emily Benson and Margot Putnam — April 11, 2023