The transatlantic economy remains at the forefront of trade liberalization and globalization debates because of its size and domination of the global economy.  The United States and European Union together comprise 54 percent of global GDP while only having 11 percent of the total world population. The transatlantic investment relationship is currently valued at more than $3 trillion and employs up to 14 million workers on both sides of the Atlantic. But following the global economic crisis, the transatlantic partners are struggling with a number of common challenges that can significantly impact their position in the global economy. Addressing sluggish economic growth, high unemployment rates, and the need to make transatlantic businesses more competitive will require strong collaboration and coordination between policy makers from both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to these mutual challenges, the leadership in Europe is also debating the long-term consequences of the sovereign debt challenge and ways of arming EU institutions with stable anti-crisis mechanisms to prevent future disturbances from threatening the economic stability of Europe. The transatlantic partners need to continue to strengthen their already existing strong economic ties and continue to work towards shared economic objectives in order to implement policies that will lead to long-term recovery, stability, and growth of the transatlantic economy.

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