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Global economy performing ‘better than feared,’ IMF chief says

Oct 8, 2025, 6:29pm EDT
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Kristalina Georgieva
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The global economy has held up “better than feared” despite tariff-induced turbulence, but risks remain, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

Kristalina Georgieva said the US economy in particular has softened, but has avoided the recession that many feared earlier this year when President Donald Trump unveiled his steep import duties. Other global financial chiefs have similarly pointed to unexpected resilience, with nations skirting an escalating, tit-for-tat trade war that threatened to hobble markets. Still, uncertainty looms over the economy, which has performed “worse than we need… Buckle up,” Georgieva said.

She cautioned about ballooning stocks on the back of AI optimism, stressing that a sharp correction threatens to drag down growth.

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