Alex Kisling

Chief Communications Officer
Alex Kisling

Alex Kisling is the chief communications officer at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he leads the center’s communications strategy and oversees its press, digital and social media, broadcasting, publications, and congressional affairs operations. In this role, he drives efforts to expand CSIS’s reach and impact, ensuring that the center’s research and convenings inform policymakers, the media, and the public. Kisling works closely with CSIS leadership, scholars, and partners to amplify the institution’s voice on the most pressing global issues.

Kisling previously served as CSIS’s vice president of communications. Before joining CSIS, he was the director of strategic communications at the Atlantic Council, where he served as spokesman, managed media relations, and coordinated comprehensive communications planning across the council’s programs. Earlier in his career, Kisling spent nearly a decade at the public affairs firms Kivvit (now Avoq) and Public Strategies Washington, where he developed and managed high-profile strategic communications and public policy advocacy campaigns that shaped policymaker opinion in Washington and across the nation. He began his career on Capitol Hill as an aide to Congressman Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio).

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) announced the appointment of Alex Kisling as chief communications officer.

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The Trade Guys

SCOTUS Decision Fallout & the EU-China Relationship

The Trade Guys make sense of the initial fallout from the SCOTUS decision and potential changes in the EU-China relationship following German chancellor Merz's visit to Beijing.

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — March 2, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

Steel & Aluminum Tariffs, "First Sale", and U.S.-Taiwan Deal

Bill and Scott discuss the current status of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum and also unpack a Senate bill proposing to revise the "First Sale" rule governing how tariffs are collected. They close with a look at the recent trade deal between the United States and Taiwan.

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — February 23, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

Emergency Trade Guys: Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs

On this emergency episode, Bill and Scott break down the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision striking down President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for broad tariffs and discuss the implications of the decision for global trade.

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — February 20, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

House Tariff Override, India Deals, EU-China Tension, and the Return of the Suez

Bill and Scott unpack the House vote to override President Trump's tariffs on Canada, recent Indian dealmaking with the U.S. and EU, rising trade tensions between the EU and China, and the return of shipping commerce to the Suez Canal route. 

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — February 17, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

Critical Minerals Moves, Cuba in the Crosshairs, and EU-Russia Sanctions Update

Bill and Scott react to the recently announced U.S. critical minerals stockpile, plummeting oil shipments to Cuba under Trump administration pressure, and continued efforts in the EU to sanction and decouple from Russia.

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — February 9, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

Canada Tariff Threats, Davos Roundup, and WTO Reform Proposals

Bill and Scott react to President Trump's threat to impose 100 percent tariffs on Canada, plus discuss takeaways from the World Economic Forum in Davos and several proposals to reform the World Trade Organization.

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, William Alan Reinsch, and Scott Miller — February 2, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

The Greenland Trade War That Almost Was, China-Canada Détente, and Pharma Deals

Bill and Scott discuss President Trump's tariff threats surrounding Greenland, the outcomes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, and look at a series of new trade agreements, including a deal between China and Canada.

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — January 26, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys
The Trade Guys

China vs. the World, Chips Tariffs, and Global Minimum Tax

Bill and Scott discuss the carveout for U.S. multinationals from key parts of the OECD’s 15% global minimum tax framework. They also unpack the unconventional announced semiconductor 232 tariffs and escalating diplomatic and economic tension between China and Japan. 

Podcast Episode by Alex Kisling, Scott Miller, and William Alan Reinsch — January 20, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys