Agustín Carstens

With fears rising that the Trump administration will follow through on its threats to raise trade barriers, world finance ministers are united on one message: protectionism threatens the global economy.

Except that the word "protectionism" was omitted from the final statement of the International Monetary Fund's semi-annual meeting April 22.

Christine Lagarde, the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund, became assured on Feb. 11 of a second term as managing director to steer it through a global economic slowdown.

The International Monetary Fund said it plans an open selection process for its top job and will begin accepting nominations on Jan. 21, even though Christine Lagarde has said she is open to another term leading the crisis lender.

Global economic growth will be "disappointing" next year, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a guest article for German newspaper Handelsblatt published on Dec. 30.

Global business leaders will discuss World economy risks and their expectations from the Group of 20 countries at the B-20 Turkey conference between Sept. 3 and 5 in Ankara. 

Finance ministers and the central banks of the member states will seek solutions to the recent economic problems at high-level meetings. 

The International Monetary Fund's member nations on April 18 warned of risks to the global economy from exchange rate shifts and geopolitical tensions as they took note of "moderate" global growth and "uneven prospects." 

Uncertainty over the future path of oil prices could throw a wrinkle into the International Monetary Fund's predictions for the global economy, its staff said in a note on Feb. 6.

On the one hand, lower oil prices could persist and boost global demand more than it foresaw last month, when the IMF cut its global growth forecast to 3.5 percent for this year.