IMF urges the United States to cooperate in reducing trade restrictions.

On February 25th, the International Monetary Fund released a statement on the fourth Article IV consultation for the United States in 2026, stating that the U.S. should engage in constructive cooperation with its trading partners to address concerns about unfair trade practices and work towards reaching consensus on reducing trade restrictions with negative cross-border impacts. The statement emphasized that imposing tariffs distorts the allocation of productive resources, disrupts global supply chains, weakens the benefits of global trade, and increases costs. The Article IV consultation is a routine assessment of member countries' economic performance and macroeconomic policies conducted by the International Monetary Fund each year. This year's Article IV consultation for the United States in 2026 focused on evaluating the shift in U.S. economic policy towards 2025 and included an assessment of its impact on the U.S., its trading partners, and the global economy. The U.S. government began implementing a wide-ranging tariff policy in early 2025, disrupting the global trade order and hindering U.S. export markets.