The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged the United States to work constructively with its trading partners to address concerns over unfair trade practices and to agree on a coordinated reduction in trade restrictions that have negative cross-border effects, according to a statement released by the IMF on Wednesday.

According to the statement entitled "United States of America: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2026 Article IV Mission," where trade and investment measures (including tariffs and export controls) are put in place for national security reasons, such policies should be applied narrowly, so as to minimize their negative effects at both home and abroad.

In this regard, higher tariffs create costs by distorting the allocation of productive resources, disrupting global supply chains, and undermining the benefits of global trade, says the statement.

The Article IV consultation is a routine assessment conducted by the IMF on the economic performance and macroeconomic policies of its member countries.

This year's version focuses on an assessment of the shift in U.S. economic policy in 2025, including the impact of these policies on the U.S., on its trading partners, and on the global economy.

Beginning in early 2025, the U.S. government implemented a significant increase in tariffs, disrupting the global trade order and causing barriers in the U.S. export market.