Dr. Samina Sultan

Senior Economist for European Economic Policy and Trade

Tel: +49 221 4981-312 Mail: Sultan@iwkoeln.de Samina Sultan

At the IW since 2022
Studied economics at the Universities of Mannheim, St. Gallen and Tübingen.
2021: Doctorate at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich on "Determinants and Effects of Fiscal and Industrial Policies" with research stay at the University of California, Berkeley
2021-2022: Researcher at the German Council of Economic Experts (Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung)
Research interests: International trade, trade policy, European economic and industrial policy, transatlantic relations, India, BRICS, geopolitics

Research unit

International Economic Policy, Financial and Real Estate Markets

IW Publications

Sultan, Samina, 2026, Dienstleistungshandel. Wo ist die EU stark, wo bestehen Abhängigkeiten?, IW-Report, Nr. 2, Gutachten gefördert vom Auswärtigen Amt, Köln
Zur Studie

Sultan, Samina, 2026, Ein Jahr Trump 2.0. Bittere Bilanz, IW-Kurzbericht, Nr. 2, Köln
Zur Studie

Sultan, Samina, 2025, US-Zölle. Wie stark leiden die deutschen Branchenexporte? Eine empirische Bestandsaufnahme, IW-Report, Nr. 67, Köln
Zur Studie

Matthes, Jürgen / Sultan, Samina / Issig, Clemens / Wünsch, Laurens, 2025, Zur Umlenkung chinesischer Exporte nach Deutschland, IW-Report, Nr. 58, Köln
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Kauder, Björn / Sultan, Samina, 2025, Europäische Union: Mehrjähriger Finanzrahmen 2028 bis 2034, IW-Report, Nr. 47, Köln
Zur Studie

Sultan, Samina / Matthes, Jürgen, 2025, Importabhängigkeit der USA von der EU, IW-Report. Eine detaillierte Bestandsaufnahme, Studie gefördert durch das Auswärtige Amt, Nr. 43, Köln
Zur Studie

Kolev-Schaefer, Galina / Matthes, Jürgen / Sultan, Samina, 2025, Trumps Liberation Day: ein Epochenbruch. Eine kurze ökonomische und handelspolitische Bewertung, IW-Report, Nr. 17, Köln
Zur Studie

Matthes, Jürgen / Sultan, Samina, 2025, Alarmsignale vom deutschen Export. Eine empirische Bestandsaufnahme der deutschen Exportentwicklung, IW-Report, Nr. 5, Köln
Zur Studie

Kolev-Schaefer, Galina / Sultan, Samina, 2024, USA. Wie wichtig ist die Wirtschaftspartnerschaft für uns?, IW-Report, Nr. 36, Köln
Zur Studie

Diermeier, Matthias / Oberst, Christian / Sultan, Samina / Förster, Henrik, 2024, Regionale Entwicklung im Vergleich, IW-Policy Paper, Nr. 6, Köln
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Kauder, Björn / Sultan, Samina, 2024, Die EU und das Geld. Wer zahlt, wer bekommt? Nettozahler und Nettoempfänger in der EU, IW-Report, Nr. 34, Köln
Zur Studie

Diermeier, Matthias / Niehues, Judith / Sultan, Samina, 2024, Europa wählt: Wen interessiert’s und warum? Einstellungen der Deutschen zur EU-Wahl und Europapolitik, IW-Report, Nr. 29, Köln
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Sommer, Julian / Sultan, Samina, 2024, Institutionelle Folgen einer EU-Erweiterung. Auswirkungen und Reformvorschläge für Kommission, Rat und Parlament, IW-Report, Nr. 15, Köln / Brüssel
Zur Studie

Obst, Thomas / Matthes, Jürgen / Sultan, Samina, 2024, What if Trump is re-elected? Trade policy implications, IW-Report, Nr. 14, Berlin / Köln
Zur Studie

Sultan, Samina / Kunath, Gero / Förster, Henrik / Matthes, Jürgen, 2024, Indonesien. Ein neuer indo-pazifischer Partner?, IW-Report, Nr. 9, Köln
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Fiskalische Aspekte einer EU-Erweiterung. Folgen eines EU-Beitritts der Ukraine für den Haushalt und die Kohäsionspolitik, IW-Report, Nr. 63, Köln
Zur Studie

Matthes, Jürgen / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Reforming the WTO’s subsidy rules. A new opportunity to tackle the global distortions of China’s state capitalism, IW-Kurzbericht, Nr. 91, Köln
Zur Studie

Hentze, Tobias / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Globale und europäische Unternehmensteuerreformkonzepte. Von BEPS über CCCTB zu BEFIT, IW-Report, Nr. 60, Köln
Zur Studie

Obst, Thomas / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Polen vor der Wahl – Wirtschaftsmodell im Wandel. Analyse des wirtschaftlichen Aufstiegs und der künftigen Herausforderungen, IW-Report, Nr. 51, Berlin / Köln
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Kauder, Björn / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Wohin fließt das Geld aus dem EU-Haushalt? Nettozahler und Nettoempfänger in der EU, IW-Report, Nr. 48, Köln
Zur Studie

Matthes, Jürgen / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Reform der EU-Fiskalregeln. Lindners Ideen haben Berechtigung, IW-Kurzbericht, Nr. 30, Köln
Zur Studie

Hentze, Tobias / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Neuer Anlauf zur Harmonisierung der Unternehmensbesteuerung in der EU. Öffentliche Konsultation der Europäischen Kommission zu „Unternehmen in Europa: ein Rahmen für die Unternehmensbesteuerung (BEFIT)“, IW-Report, Nr. 7, Köln
Zur Studie

Berthold Busch / Jürgen Matthes / Samina Sultan, 2023, Zur Abhängigkeit einzelner Industriezweige von China, IW-Report, Nr. 5
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Sultan, Samina, 2022, Die EU vor neuen Erweiterungen? Alternativen zur Vollmitgliedschaft, IW-Analyse, Nr. 152, Köln
Zur Studie

Busch, Berthold / Kauder, Björn / Sultan, Samina, 2022, Wer finanziert die EU? Nettozahler und Nettoempfänger in der EU, IW-Report, Nr. 55, Köln
Zur Studie

Sultan, Samina / Rusche, Christian / Busch, Berthold / Bardt, Hubertus, 2022, Single Market Emergency Instrument. An instrument with pitfalls, IW-Kurzbericht, Nr. 85, Köln
Zur Studie

Bardt, Hubertus / Busch, Berthold / Rusche, Christian / Sultan, Samina, 2022, Single Market Emergency Instrument. Ein Instrument mit Tücken, IW-Policy Paper, Nr. 7, Köln
Zur Studie

External Publications

Sultan, Samina, 2024, Not so Different? Dependency of the German and Italian Industry on China Intermediate Inputs, in: Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University (eds.), IEP@BU Policy Brief, April 2024, Milan
Zur Studie

Matthes, Jürgen / Kauder, Björn / Sultan, Samina, 2023, Reforming Economic and Monetary Union. Balancing Spending and Public Debt Sustainability, in: Martens Centre for European Studies, Policy Brief, June 2023, Brussels / Cologne
Zur Studie

Sultan, Samina / Rusche, Christian / Bardt, Hubertus / Busch, Berthold, 2023, Single Market Emergency Instrument. A Tool with Pitfalls, in: Intereconomics, 58. Jg., Heft 3, S. 160-166
Zur Studie

Fuest, C. / Hugger, F. / Sultan, S. / Xing, J., 2022, What drives Chinese overseas M&A investment? Evidence from micro data, in: Review of International Economics, 30, 306– 344. https://doi.org/10.1111/roie.12566

Fuest, Clemens / Sultan, Samina , 2019, How Will Brexit Affect Tax Competition and Tax Harmonization? The Role of Discriminatory Taxation, in: National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 72(1), pages 111-138, March

More from Dr. Samina Sultan

IW-Report No. 2 23. January 2026 Samina Sultan

Trade in services: Where is the EU strong, where are there dependencies?

The significance of global trade in services has increased substantially in recent years. In 2023, exports of services accounted for over 27 percent of total global exports, and even around 33 percent within the EU.

IW-Kurzbericht No. 2 20. January 2026 Samina Sultan

One year of Trump 2.0: A bitter reckoning

The policies of the current US administration have had significant effects on German American economic relations. German foreign direct investment flows into the US have fallen by around 24 percent since Trump took office, and German exports to the US have dropped by nearly 9 percent. This generates losses on both sides.

IW-Report No. 67 22. December 2025 Samina Sultan

US tariffs: How badly are German industry exports suffering?

The close transatlantic trade relations are coming under significant strain due to U.S. President Trump’s tariff policies. This is already reflected in the export performance of German industries during the first three quarters of 2025.

IW-Report No. 58 17. November 2025 Jürgen Matthes et al.

On the diversion of Chinese exports to Germany

This report, sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office, develops a new methodology for a IW-monitoring of sharp increases in imports from China and possible diversion effects from China to Germany due to high US tariffs on Chinese imports.

IW-Report No. 47 13. October 2025 Berthold Busch / Björn Kauder / Samina Sultan

European Union: Multiannual Financial Framework 2028 to 2034

The European Commission has proposed expenditure of €1,985 billion Euro for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which covers the period from 2028 to 2034.

IW-Report No. 41 18. September 2025 Samina Sultan / Jürgen Matthes

U.S. dependence on imports from the EU

Against the backdrop of the tariff dispute with the US, this report examines the US's dependence on imports from the EU and Germany. To this end, US merchandise trade statistics at the detailed 10-digit level are used.

IW-Report No. 17 17. April 2025 Galina Kolev-Schaefer / Jürgen Matthes / Samina Sultan

Trump's Liberation Day: an epochal change

With his ‘Liberation Day’ and the announced reciprocal tariffs, Donald Trump is instigating a global trade war that will hurt everyone. According to simulations of the tariffs announced on 2 April 2025 using the Oxford Economics global economic model, the cumulated loss of economic output for Germany could total around 200 billion euros over four years.

IW-Report No. 5 4. February 2025 Jürgen Matthes / Samina Sultan

Alarm signals from German exports: An empirical review of German export development

German Exports are sending out clear warning signals. Export growth rates have fallen by around two thirds in the period from 2015 to 2023 compared to 2000 to 2015.

IW-Report No. 36 13. September 2024 Galina Kolev-Schaefer / Samina Sultan

USA: How important is the economic partnership for us?

Despite the persistent protectionist course of US trade policy in recent years and China's rise as a global economic power, the German and US economies remain closely intertwined.

IW-Policy Paper No. 6 23. August 2024 Matthias Diermeier et al.

A comparison of regional development

Over the past ten years, a clear economic catch-up process can be observed in East Germany in comparison with West Germany.