IMF Meetings Begin Under Fresh Cloud of U.S.-China Trade Tensions

A security guard and his dog walk past the International Monetary Fund's headquarters as the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund hold their annual meetings on October 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

The IMF and World Bank’s semi-annual gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors got underway in Washington on Monday, against the backdrop of new trade threats between the world’s two largest economies.

Last week, China unveiled new export restrictions on critical minerals, prompting a fierce response from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he would impose new 100 percent tariffs on Beijing in response.

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