Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has played a balancing act trying to reassure nervous investors that the U.S. would maintain its global leadership role while staying true to the Trump administration’s skepticism of multilateral banking organizations.

Bessent spoke to the Institute of International Finance as both the International Monetary Fund and World Bank held their spring meetings in Washington. On Monday, the IMF downgraded its forecast of U.S. economic growth to 1.8% this year, a reduction from the 2.7% it estimated as recently as January.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the Trump administration planned to pursue reforms at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to achieve a more “sustainable international economic system” that better serves the United States and other countries.

In its latest Fiscal Monitor briefing, the International Monetary Fund warned that escalating global uncertainty from rising tariffs to volatile financial markets is putting emerging markets and devel

The International Monetary Fund warned that global public borrowing will likely surge this year as trade tensions triggered by the US lead to slower economic growth and more volatility on financial markets.

The outlook for the U.S. and global economies this year and next has significantly worsened in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the uncertainty they have created