Michael B.G. Froman

President @CFR_org. Former U.S. Trade Representative. Connecting the dots, globally.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

We just launched our Future of American Strategy initiative. It’s an effort to take a step back and look at the major questions that have been opened over the last couple of years and what happens in the future. How do we think about managing alliances, dealing with adversaries, dealing with global issues like pandemics or climate change or international terrorism? What role is there for American leadership in the world? Take a look. We hope you’ll join us.

[Foreign Affairs @ForeignAffairs]

“Beijing has outgrown its economic model,” writes @MikeFroman. To prevent a global economic crisis, China “must orchestrate, with the United States and other major economies, a preemptive and gradual rebalancing of its economy.”
https://t.co/RzkGw470Mb

[Chris McGuire @ChrisRMcGuire]

See my latest on the state of the US-China AI competition--including Kimi K3, distillation, banning Chinese models, open source, and the future of AI regulation--with @MikeFroman for @CFR_org.

https://t.co/dQmwHm6mG5

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

Yesterday, I joined Paula Newton on CNN's Quest Means Business, following Netanyahu and Zelenskyy's meetings with President Trump.

Three takeaways:

• The late Sen. Lindsey Graham served as a bridge among the three leaders and a consistent voice for strong U.S. engagement on Ukraine and Israel.

• What a difference a year plus makes. From Zelenskyy’s disastrous meeting in the Oval Office in February 2025 to the warm embrace he received yesterday and at the recent NATO Summit. President Trump likes winners, and Ukraine is increasingly being viewed as one. At the same time, the President’s relationship with Netanyahu has deteriorated from the 12-Day War in June 2025 to now, as the war with Iran continues.

• The two wars are increasingly intertwined: Iran supplies Russia with drones, Russia is reportedly helping Iran target U.S. forces in the region, and Iran is now a shared adversary of both Israel and Ukraine. Both conflicts are straining interceptor stockpiles on all sides.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

We just hosted the third annual foreign policy forum with the Rodel Institute at our New York headquarters. Rodel is a rigorously bipartisan fellowship program that brings together state and local elected leaders from both sides of the aisle, making it a natural partner for @CFR_org. Over 400 elected leaders have completed the program and have gone on to serve as U.S. senators, governors, mayors, party leaders, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and Vice President of the United States.

I learned as much from the Rodel fellows as I hope they did from CFR’s experts who provided briefings on U.S. foreign policy strategy, the Middle East, Latin America, China, and the impacts of artificial intelligence. A great weekend all around, with thanks to Rodel’s John Kroger, Lizzy McCourt Noonan, as well as CFR’s own Irina Faskianos and her State and Local Officials Team.

Learn more about CFR’s State and Local Officials work: https://t.co/vTq5s9gEG1

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

In February, the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's sweeping IEEPA tariffs. Some celebrated the decision as a check on the president’s penchant for tariffs. Such celebrations were premature at best.

Since then, the United States has imposed a 10% Section 122 tariff (set to expire July 24), opened new Section 232 and 301 investigations, and — just yesterday — announced 50% tariffs on select Canadian goods under Section 338.

Brick by brick, the administration is well on its way toward ensuring that, through a patchwork of investigations, the United States will ultimately have tariffs similar to those imposed under IEEPA .

It remains an open question, however, whether the tariffs are achieving the administration’s objective of reindustrializing, increasing manufacturing’s share, and ideally increasing the number of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. economy.

Read my full column on what to know about Trump's new tarrifs: https://t.co/6KjJB5Zi1W

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

At CFR, we've explored how sports and diplomacy go hand in hand — with articles unpacking the geopolitical tensions running through the tournament, as well a curtain raiser featuring Darin LaHood and Kathy Castor, the bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus; Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup; Haley Carter, president of soccer operations of the Washington Spirit; and Javier Vega, national correspondent at Telemundo.

Watch the event here and visit https://t.co/zoN4vPf39x for our coverage: https://t.co/1sfsdkuKcA

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

From Tom Cruise to Global Citizen to the trophy and awards ceremony, the final FIFA World Cup 2026 match underscored just how well sports translate across borders, cultures, languages and even politics.

I didn’t have a dog in the fight, but I was glad Spain won. Given the challenges Europe faces on security, economics and technology, it was a much needed win.

Congrats, Team USA, for such a good showing. Off to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

The war with Iran started over weapons of mass destruction. It’s now about what some have called weapons of mass disruption. On CNBC yesterday, I explained what President Trump calling the ceasefire "over" actually means and why the Strait of Hormuz has become Iran's real source of leverage. The likeliest path forward is a cycle of escalation and de-escalation, with Iran selectively imposing a toll on global shipping.

Watch my full interview here: https://t.co/VPGGKQYM18

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

The Council on Foreign Relations just launched two new Task Forces. Task Forces are one of @CFR_org's flagship products. They bring together a bipartisan group of CFR members and other experts to assess issues of current and critical importance to U.S. foreign policy. Task Force members aim to reach a meaningful consensus on policy recommendations and to engage with policymakers and other key stakeholders on their implementation.

The first, on Energy Security, Technological Innovation, and American Leadership, is a partnership with the @BelferCenter at the Harvard Kennedy School. It examines how U.S. long-term security depends on affordable energy at home, leadership in emerging energy technologies, and the geopolitical leverage that comes as those technologies scale. It's co-chaired by Belfer Center Director and CFR Board member Meghan L. O'Sullivan, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean Arun Majumdar, and former Hess Corporation CEO John B. Hess, with CFR Senior Fellow David M. Hart serving as project director.

The second will lay out a vision for Cuba to rejoin the world economy and build a constructive relationship with the United States and other nations, mapping where American policy can make a real difference and where it can't. It's co-chaired by former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Roberta S. Jacobson, and former World Bank Chief Economist Carmen M. Reinhart, with CFR Fellow Will Freeman as project director and guidance from CFR Senior Vice President Shannon K. O'Neil.

Both task forces will release their reports in early 2027.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

This year’s Fourth of July offers a unique opportunity to reflect on two-and-a-half centuries of the American experiment. @CFR_org's mission is to inform U.S. engagement with the world. And while there is no question we are at a historic inflection point, the debate over America’s role in the world is nothing new. That makes it all the more imperative that we have clear-eyed, fact-based assessments of the tradeoffs inherent to how the United States could engage the world, drawing on lessons of the past. History has a way of rhyming, if not repeating.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

Learn more about our National Program: https://t.co/WIDg5cKBRr

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

Last month, @CFR_org held its 31st Annual National Conference at our New York headquarters. With more than 40% of our members living outside New York and Washington, the Council is truly a national organization. Every June, those members gather here for a few days of substantive programming.

Personal highlights included moderating a fireside chat with Citi CEO Jane Fraser and introducing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz at our keynote dinner.

We are continuing to build out the National program under Irina Faskianos's leadership — both in terms of growing the membership and increasing the programming around the country.

https://t.co/NWjuw58OrZ

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

Watch my opening night conversation with Citi’s Jane Fraser: https://t.co/jNMYoo3gda

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

You can watch our talk on America's next competitiveness strategy here: https://t.co/dkDOZO40Cv

And read @CFR_org's economic security report here: https://t.co/iWg8WohkMv

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

It was a privilege to share the stage with David Bohigian, Jane Harman, Chris Womack and Diane Brady for a discussion on U.S. economic competitiveness at the Aspen Ideas Festival this week. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the future of the global trading system and how the United States will win the race for the technologies of the future, which was the focus of CFR’s Economic Security Task Force report. An asset of the U.S. economy is its unique innovation ecosystem.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

Terrific video from Rebecca Lissner, who is leading our Future of American Strategy initiative. She spoke with more than 300 people representing 29 states about what they want from U.S. foreign policy and found that their answers were remarkably consistent: Americans of both parties want strong U.S. leadership abroad.

[Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_org]

Over the past year, we sat down with 359 Americans across 29 states to ask a simple question: What do they actually want from U.S. foreign policy?

Their answers were remarkably consistent and cut across party lines. CFR Senior Fellow @RebeccaLissner explains that Americans want strong global leadership from the United States, but on their terms.

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

You can watch my full conversation with @USTradeRep @jamiesongreer: https://t.co/VYcmsOoyq5

[Michael B.G. Froman @MikeFroman]

It was a pleasure to welcome U.S. Trade Representative @jamiesongreer back to @CFR_org for a wide ranging discussion on the Trump administration’s trade strategy from China and the Board of Trade to USMCA.

One of the great things about the job of the @USTradeRep is that it combines international diplomacy at the highest level like sitting down and negotiating with heads of governments with a detailed appreciation for the U.S. economy like what it takes to manufacture a car, export a molecule of milk, or deliver a service halfway across the world.