New survey shows the resilience of the transatlantic economy

A new survey from the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that the transatlantic economy is on the mend, thanks to the massive policy response to the recession brought on by COVID-19. Both the EU and the US are set to see a return to growth in 2021, although the rebound is uneven with the US powering ahead. Turning to the future, the report notes that the fundamentals of the transatlantic relationship remain strong and will likely play a key role in the economic recovery to come. Read the report here.

News
23 Mar 2021
New survey shows the resilience of the transatlantic economy

Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU, said: 'We are encouraged by the strong political will on both sides to advance the transatlantic relationship. A strong recovery will depend on close cooperation between the EU and the US, as we battle the global health crisis and its impact on our economies.' She went on to say: 'Transatlantic partners must seize the opportunity to build a more resilient, sustainable and innovative economy. Now is the time for transatlantic leadership.'

The Transatlantic Economy 2021 annual survey highlights how the EU-US relationship remains the largest of its kind in the world. The transatlantic economic partnership generates around €6 trillion in commercial sales a year and accounts for half of total global personal consumption. No place in the world attracts more US foreign direct investment (FDI) than Europe. Over the past decade, Europe attracted 57.3% of total US global investment - more than in any previous decade.

What to look out for in this new edition?

  • Impact of the global pandemic on the transatlantic economy;

  • A new chapter devoted to the evolving relationship between the EU, the US and China;

  • Changing dynamics of post-Brexit relations with the UK;

  • Data on the transatlantic energy economy; and

  • Individual profiles for 30 European countries and all 50 US states.

The research was conducted independently by Daniel Hamilton and Joseph Quinlan for the Wilson Center's Global Europe Program and the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

The data is also available on Thriving Together, an online platform that showcases the deep ties that bind Europe and the United States, including numbers from The Transatlantic Economy 2021. Visit the platform: thrivingtogether.eu.

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Tech Sovereignty Package: positive steps for energy resilience, but a risky gamble for digital competitiveness

This week the European Commission unveiled its Tech Sovereignty Package. While the Package’s energy proposals mark a significant step forward for EU energy resilience, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) proposal overlooks the reality of global technology supply chains and introduces significant legal uncertainty and fragmentation for businesses.

The central question for the Tech Sovereignty Package is how to build resilience without undermining competitiveness. Concerns around overdependence on a limited number of providers, the risk of external disruption to service continuity and the long-term position of the EU’s digital industries are all legitimate. However, greater sovereignty will only be sustainable if it is built on a competitive, diverse and innovative digital ecosystem. The technologies that underpin the global digital economy are developed through highly international supply chains, with innovation spread across multiple markets.

Viewed through this lens, the individual proposals in the Package vary in the extent to which they reinforce resilience while preserving openness and competitiveness. In particular, the proposed CADA risks discriminating against providers that rely on global supply chains – both those based in Europe and those in third countries – even where they offer superior resilience.

‘An origin-based approach is too blunt for such a complex global market’, said Malte Lohan, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union, commenting on the Package.

‘A more credible path to achieving greater resilience and control in such an interconnected landscape is to define sovereignty in terms of outcomes: secure and reliable technologies, customer choice, strong safeguards against undue interference and a business environment that supports investment and growth. That points to a risk-based framework where the EU is open to working with trusted partners. This trust should be assessed on the basis of objective standards rather than origin alone’, Mr Lohan added.

Last year alone, US technology firms operating in Europe and their supply chains supported €1.0 trillion in EU GDP, equivalent to 5.4% of total output. The scale of this contribution underscores the need for the EU to preserve an open environment with legal clarity and proportionality in any restrictions or safeguards that would impact commercial operations.

The Package’s Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in energy is a positive step that could help unlock the benefits of digitalisation for Europe’s energy needs, enabling faster and more flexible grids. Digitalisation provides new opportunities to strengthen the reliability and resilience of energy systems. If executed well, the roadmap could support the growing demand of Europe’s digital and AI sectors for low-carbon energy.

Ultimately, the importance of the Tech Sovereignty Package extends well beyond the technology sector itself. Manufacturers, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, mobility, energy and retail all increasingly depend on access to advanced digital technologies to innovate and compete. For the Tech Sovereignty Package to support these sectors, it must ensure companies in Europe continue to benefit from economic openness.

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