Outlet profile

Peterson Institute for International Economics (Opinion)

U.S. centrist, free-trade/globalist economics

Owned byIndependent nonprofit research institute; not owned by any corporation or individual

FundingDonations and grants from corporations, financial institutions, foundations, foreign governments, and individuals (including the Peterson family), plus endowment income; discloses donors annually

On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Founded in 1981 by economist C. Fred Bergsten as the Institute for International Economics, with seed funding from the German Marshall Fund; renamed in 2006 to honor major donor and founding chairman Peter G. Peterson. Led by Adam S. Posen since 2013, it positions itself as a nonpartisan research organization, though its staff and output consistently favor open trade, multilateral economic cooperation, and market-oriented policy. Roughly 90% of its roughly $13 million annual budget is unrestricted funding from a diversified donor base including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citadel, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Mastercard, and various foreign governments, which has drawn scrutiny from watchdog groups over potential influence despite PIIE's disclosure practices and claim that donors do not shape research conclusions. Its economists have long been associated with the elite bipartisan consensus favoring globalization and free trade, sometimes summarized by critics as part of the 'Washington Consensus.' Since Trump's second term began in January 2025, PIIE researchers have published extensive critical analysis of his tariff policies, arguing they harm U.S. consumers, businesses, and global growth, making its opinion and research output currently run counter to the administration's trade agenda.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-10-01; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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