WASHINGTON, April 19 -- Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on Thursday urged policymakers to steer clear of all protectionist measures amid rising trade tensions between the United States and its major trading partners.
"Trade restrictions have not been proven helpful and we suspect that they might even dent confidence," Lagarde said at a press conference during the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, adding all countries should "work together to resolve disagreements without using exceptional measures."
While the actual impact of current trade tensions on global growth "is not very substantial" in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), it's difficult to measure the erosion of confidence in the short term with investors reluctant on investing, Lagarde said.
The IMF chief suspected that trade tensions will be discussed among many bilateral meetings this week, particularly in a meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) on Saturday, as finance ministers and central bank governors recognize that trade and investment are the two key engines of global growth.
"We believe that each country can do more from looking at its own domestic policies to helping those affected" by the dislocation from technology and trade, she said.
Lagarde also called for policymakers using current growth momentum to step up structural reforms, build policy buffers and guard against fiscal and financial risks.
The spring meetings of the two leading international financial institutions come after the Trump administration recently announced additional tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and threatened to impose broad tariffs against Chinese imports.
These unilateral protectionist measures have sparked widespread criticism and provoked threats of retaliation from major trading partners, raising the prospect of escalating global trade conflicts that threaten the global recovery.
"The prospect of trade restrictions and counter-restrictions threatens to undermine confidence and derail global growth prematurely," Maurice Obstfeld, economic counsellor and director of research at the IMF, warned Tuesday.
"That major economies are flirting with trade war at a time widespread economic expansion may seem paradoxical -- especially when the expansion is so reliant on investment and trade," he said.
Obstfeld called for "dependable and fair dispute resolution" within a strong rule-based multilateral framework to address intellectual property concerns and other "inequitable trade practices."
地道口语:如何用英语聊电影
你会各种各样的“敲竹杠”吗?
2011年实用口语练习:歉意怎么说出口(2)
地道口语:用21句表达沮丧
巧用“插入语”争取思考的时间
奥运会实用英语口语200句: 你可以乘火车去上海
口语情景对话:走遍美国精选 当仁不让 ACT 1 - 3
英语口语主题:交际英语热门话题47个(21--生日派对)
实用口语:选举 Elections
新东方英语口语开口篇:Age 年龄(4)
新东方英语口语开口篇:描述外貌(3)
实用口语情景轻松学:你这儿卖内存吗?
疯狂口语要素精选 13
疯狂口语要素精选 7
新东方英语口语开口篇:询问称呼(2)
实用口语情景轻松学:老外和菜农砍价时的地道英语对话
奥运会实用英语口语200句: 我经常用互联网学英语
实用口语情景轻松学:你能借我点儿钱吗?
地道英语口语:关于“apple”的英语俚语
实用盘点:赞美他人时必备口语
实用口语情景轻松学:说一说旅行要准备的东西
2011年实用口语练习:今天你“团”了吗
口语情景对话:一个真正的斯图尔特家的后代ACT 1 - 3
学会用英文的感叹句
大学新生常用口语:熟悉校园和同学
英语流行语:你跟谁“合得来”?
地道口语:“小气鬼”怎么说?
节日英语口语:十一句话搞定圣诞礼物
老外“精神不好”时会说些什么
实用口语情景轻松学:你知道怎么申请赴美签证吗?
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |