The International Monetary Fund has urged Germany and other European states to find ways of “engaging constructively” with Donald Trump, despite the US president’s perceived threat to open markets, multilateral trade and even the IMF’s own role.
David Lipton, the IMF’s first deputy managing director, said in Berlin on Tuesday that Washington’s economic partners should look seriously at Mr Trump’s complaints against the alleged unfairness of the world trading system — and address those where US claims might be justified.
“It makes sense to try to think ahead about how to engage the US in a way that is going to be more constructive,” said Mr Lipton, urging Germany, which has the current presidency of the Group of 20 leading economies, to act.