国际英语资讯:IMF chief calls for de-escalating trade disputes amid dimming global growth outlook_时事

国际英语资讯:IMF chief calls for de-escalating trade disputes amid dimming global growth outlook

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on Monday called on economies around the world to "de-escalate and resolve the current trade disputes", as global economic growth outlook has dimmed.

"In July, we projected 3.9 percent global growth for 2018 and 2019. The outlook has since become less bright, as you will see from our updated forecast next week," Lagarde said in a speech in Washington ahead of the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Bali, Indonesia, next week.

"A key issue is that rhetoric is morphing into a new reality of actual trade barriers. This is hurting not only trade itself, but also investment and manufacturing as uncertainty continues to rise," she said.

国际英语资讯:IMF chief calls for de-escalating trade disputes amid dimming global growth outlook1

The IMF chief warned that current trade disputes could "deliver a shock to a broader range of emerging and developing economies" if they were to escalate further.

"My key message today is that we need to manage the risks, step up reforms, and modernize the multilateral system," Lagarde said, urging countries to work together to build a global trade system that is "stronger, fairer, and fit for the future".

"The stakes are high because the fracturing of global value chains could have a devastating effect on many countries, including advanced economies," she said, adding it could also prevent emerging and low-income countries from reaching their full potential.