Global Growth Will Be Disappointing in 2016 Says IMF’s Lagarde

Global economic growth will be “disappointing” next year, the head of the International Monetary Fund said in a guest article for German newspaper Handelsblatt published on Wednesday.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the prospect of rising interest rates in the United States and an economic slowdown in China were contributing to uncertainty and a higher risk of economic vulnerability worldwide.

In addition, growth in global trade has slowed considerably and a decline in raw material prices is posing problems for economies based on these, while the financial sector in many countries still has weaknesses and financial risks are rising in emerging markets, Lagarde added.

“All of that means global growth will be disappointing and uneven in 2016,” Lagarde said, adding that low productivity, aging populations and the effects of the global financial crisis were putting the brakes on growth.

She said the start of normalization of U.S. monetary policy and China’s shift toward consumption-led growth were “necessary and healthy” changes but needed to be carried out as efficiently and smoothly as possible.

Reuters

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