Uncertainty Grows Over Trump's Tariff Strategy

President Donald Trump's tariff policies are causing uncertainty and impacting confidence, though a recession isn't imminent, according to IMF's Kristalina Georgieva. Investors are concerned as U.S. stocks have dropped nearly 10%. The IMF is likely to slightly lower its economic outlook in its upcoming update.

U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff strategy is raising significant uncertainty and affecting economic confidence, but it is not anticipated to cause an immediate recession, said Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), during a Reuters NEXT Newsmaker interview on Monday.

The IMF is set to slightly reduce its economic forecast in the next World Economic Outlook release, despite having previously increased its global growth estimate for 2025. Georgieva mentioned that since Trump's return to office, his implementation of tariffs, including a 20% levy on Chinese goods and proposed tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products, has injected volatility into markets.

Stock indexes in the U.S. have seen a near 10% decline since mid-February, fueled by fears that these tariffs might hinder growth or provoke a recession. Georgieva emphasized the importance of clarity in tariff policy, as prolonged uncertainty could further jeopardize economic stability.

(With inputs from agencies.)