Out of the IMF’s 191 member states, 188 have refrained from retaliatory trade barriers, instead boosting commerce among themselves. Georgieva singled out India, saying it still maintains certain restrictions but appears open to deeper engagement with partners such as the European Union.
She also stressed that countries with large surpluses, like China, should depend more on domestic consumption, while deficit nations such as the US must narrow fiscal gaps to support balanced growth.
On technology, Georgieva described artificial intelligence as “a double-edged sword”, noting that booming investment, concentrated mostly in the US, could add 0.1 to 0.8 percentage points to global output, but also widen the divide between rich and poor nations.
Public debt, she warned, remains close to record levels, while growing inequality and uncertainty are fuelling protests across many regions. “The forces of change are making the global economy less predictable,” she said. “People are anxious, taking to the streets to demand better opportunities.”
In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Georgieva urged calm amid the renewed US–China trade conflict, saying: “Our message to everyone is, stay cool.” She also cautioned China to “be careful not to provoke others in a way that may make them see China as a threat.”
