Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the United States is focused on developing deeper trade relationships with nations around the globe as the Trump administration seeks to bring countries to the negotiating table through tariffs.
Bessent spoke at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning, addressing President Donald Trump’s global trade strategy. The meetings come a day after Bessent said in a closed-door meeting that a prolonged trade war against China is unsustainable.
“I wish to be clear: ‘America First’ does not mean America alone,” Bessent said. “To the contrary, it is a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trade partners. Far from stepping back, ‘America First’ seeks to expand U.S. leadership and international institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. By…
