IMF-WB Meetings End Without Any Clarity on Donald Trump’s Tariff Plan

Finance leaders from countries across the world left the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington with little clarity on Trump’s tariff strategy. Most finance and trade ministers failed to meet with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent or other key Trump officials, while those who did were only told to be patient. The Trump administration’s main trade talks during the meetings with Japan and South Korea ended without agreements. The IMF cut growth forecasts in its latest World Economic Outlook but did not predict recessions, even for the US and China. Debt concerns also grew. Eric LeCompte of Jubilee USA Network said the meetings produced no progress on debt crises, as tariff uncertainty dominated. Reza Baqir, former governor of Pakistan’s central bank, said developing nations felt abandoned.[ World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill warned that tariffs were sharply slowing trade and investment critical to emerging economies. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Secretary confirmed support for the IMF and World Bank but criticized their growing focus on climate, gender, and equality issues.